His KING Always
by LegitElizabethWWEFan
Summary: Charlotte had it all- she & her husband ruled over Nohr, they had a son- a perfect life. But after a major tragedy hits, everyone is left dazed and confused for how to go on. Charlotte tries her hardest to keep it together, but it progressively gets harder. Both her life and sanity are in a fragile state- and it will only get worst. 15th century AU, please review!
1. Prologue

**Hello, everyone! Here is my newest fanfic- and more importantly, my first multi-chapter fanfic in the _Fire Emblem: Fates_ fandom! I'm super excited to start a new story, and I hope you all enjoy it just as much as I do.**

 **I do need to explain something important regarding this fanfic. It is set in an AU where the Nohr/Hoshido war does NOT happen. In fact, Hoshido is hardly ever mentioned in this fanfic. I will be focusing heavily on Nohr & their royal family. I will be using f!Corrin, and she is with her adopted family of Nohr. The AU is set sometime in the 1500s, just as an idea of what time period to keep up with. I'll try to keep everyone in character, but please be prepared for some characters to be OOC. If you have any questions, please let me know, and I'll try to answer them as best as I can!**

 **This fanfic will be updated every Wednesday. If I cannot update, I'll post something on Tumblr & Twitter saying so.**

 **In case anyone's curious, the cover art was designed by me. The title of this fanfic is from the song _KING_ by Niykee Heaton.**

 **I own absolutely nothing.**

 **Please read & enjoy!**

* * *

"Lord Xander, they're here."

The man in question looked away from his throne to give his advisor an uneasy look. He knew this day was bound to come, but it didn't make it any better. He had dreaded this day for a few years now.

It was the day he would have to select a wife and queen of Nohr.

"Milord?"

"I heard you, Iago. I'll be there in a moment."

"Understood."

Iago left Xander to his thoughts. The King pondered the ridiculousness of the situation: a grown man—a King, no less—had his council search for the most beautiful women in all of Nohr in order to find him a wife. He wished he could just marry whoever, like his siblings. But he had to go through this whether he wanted to or not.

 _There's no time to sulk or hide_ , he thought. _It's time to see if I can find a wife._

Xander left the Throne Room for the Grand Hall. He spotted his retainers, Peri and Laslow, talking amongst themselves not far from where he came from. Seeing their liege so suddenly caught their attention.

"There you are, Lord Xander!" Peri exclaimed.

"I saw some of the ladies waiting, milord," Laslow said. "They were quite lovely, if I do say so myself."

"Oh, shut up, Laslow. They weren't anything special!"

"And who are _you_ to judge? Hmm?"

Most anyone else would find this exchange annoying as hell. But Xander couldn't help but snicker at the little sideshow. It almost helped him forget the hell he was about to endure.

"That's enough, you two. I have enough to deal with right now."

"I suppose that's true," Laslow mused. "My apologies, milord."

"Sorry, Lord Xander," Peri echoed.

Xander nodded. "It's alright. I know you two always mean well."

He finally arrived to the Grand Hall with a forced smile. His retainers chose to stay behind, since they weren't exactly needed right now. Although it was tempting to keep them close; all the women that had been brought to the castle were too loud, too obnoxious, and too phoney. None of them stood out to Xander. He began talking to them, which wasn't an easy task. They were quick to talk over each other in louder volumes.

"It's so nice to meet you, Lord Xander!" one woman exclaimed.

"Gods, you're _so_ handsome!" another gushed.

"Marry me!" one more chimed in.

Xander readjusted his smile and nodded. "You're all lovely—there' no denying that. But please remain calm and allow me to talk to you one by one. Perhaps it'll help things to run smoother."

He half expected the women to not listen to him, just because of how they were behaving. But amazingly, they all quickly got in a messy line in front of him. Xander stood back and waited for the first woman to approach him.

"You're quite handsome," she gushed. "I happen to be a noble, too."

"How nice," Xander replied absently. "Are you from Nohr or Hoshido?"

"Nohr, milord."

Xander nodded. "May I meet the next woman?"

The first woman was quickly escorted away, dejected. The second woman wore a frilly ball gown, high heels, and hade her hair and makeup done far too fancy for the occasion. Then again, she probably really wanted to become his wife. That was the only conclusion Xander could draw just from her appearance.

"Gods, I can't believe I'm here," she gasped with fake shock. "It's an honour to even be in your presence, milord."

"I appreciate your kind words," Xander said. "From where do you hail?"

"Hoshido. Is that a problem?"

"No, not at all. I hold no ill will towards your home country. Though I wish to know why you would want to marry I, the King of Nohr."

"Uh…well…because I think you'd be a fine husband?"

Xander grimaced briefly at her flimsy reason. "May I meet the next woman?"

The woman almost bolted for the castle's exit. It took a lot for Xander to keep his composure, even as the other women in line giggled.

The third woman stepped forward, changing the mood of the awaiting women. They all suddenly had on disapproving glares and scowls. In their defense, the woman in question was far from nobility. She wore extremely skimpy blue-and-grey armour, with ample cleavage and her stomach exposed. Her long blonde hair flowed down her back, and was adorned with a white bow. Unlike the remaining women, she seemed nervous, even scared of Xander.

"Interesting…attire," Xander remarked. "I take it you are not a noble?"

"Yes, milord," the woman replied. "I'm a pauper."

"And what is it you do?"

"I am a border guard for Nohr. I've served with the royal guard for a few years now."

"She's disgusting!" one woman in line shouted.

"Kick her out!" another cried.

" _Silence!_ " Xander commanded.

The squawking women shut their mouths, but continued to stare at their competition.

"I know I'm not a noble, milord," the blonde woman said. "But I think you're a wonderful person. I'm a border guard for Nohr because I care for you, your siblings, and the rest of Nohr. If you wish to send me away because of my station, I understand. But I refuse to stop serving you and all of Nohr."

A couple women scoffed at her words, but no one said a word.

But Xander didn't scoff. In fact, he smiled for the first time since this ordeal had begun.

"Iago, please escort the remaining women out."

"Yes, milord."

Many protested Xander's decision, but Iago and the accompanying guards didn't let up. Xander waited until they all disappeared from his sight before speaking to the woman again.

"What is your name?"

"Charlotte."

"Charlotte, is it? That's a rather lovely name."

"Thank you, milord."

"I wish to get to know you more," Xander admitted. "Your commitment to Nohr, and your beauty are both quite captivating. That being said, I only wish to court you if you feel the same."

"Are you sure?" Charlotte asked. "I apologize for questioning you, milord, but…I'm merely a pauper. Won't your siblings and peers disapprove of you marrying below your station? I don't wish to bring dishonour to you and your name…"

Fearful that she had crossed some sort of boundary, she hung her head. Her eyes darted to the ground.

"Charlotte, look at me."

She slowly looked back at Xander, expecting anger or hurt. What she hadn't expected was a kind, almost pitiful look etched onto his features. His pity didn't seem belittling, but rather caring. It was far from what Charlotte expected from the King of Nohr.

"Milord?"

"I did believe that marrying a noble would be best. But after meeting you, I realize that you are far and away a more wonderful person than most nobles I've met in my lifetime. My siblings only wish for my happiness; if you make me happy, then there'll be no objections. As for my people…they will grow to love you, Charlotte. I wish to court you, no matter what."

"Well…I guess I can't say no…especially to the King of Nohr. Very well, then. I wish to do this, milord."

Xander smiled again. "Good. There is a room waiting for you, already furnished and prepared. I'll have my sister take you there, as I must attend a meeting shortly. I apologize for that…I'm already passing you off to someone else."

"You're a king—I understand you have important duties," Charlotte said.

"Thank you, Charlotte. Now…Corrin?"

A white-haired woman in white-and-grey armour ran into the Grand Hall. "Yes, Brother?"

"Could you please escort Charlotte to the room the maids have prepared?"

"Yes, of course."

Charlotte and Xander exchanged goodbyes before the former caught up with Corrin.

"So, you're Lord Xander's sister?" Charlotte asked.

"Adopted sister," Corrin corrected. "My birth parents died when I was young."

"Oh…I'm so sorry."

"It's alright, you didn't know. What about you? If I may ask, do you have family?"

Charlotte nodded nervously. "I do, milady, but…we're peasants. We grew up with very little. My job as a border guard allows me to send them money once a week to help out. My one wish is to help them as much as I could."

"That's so sweet! I bet they're proud of you."

"I hope so. I also hope they're proud of me for marrying the King."

"Why wouldn't they? You'll be able to send them more money now!"

Charlotte mused this. "That's true…I hadn't thought of that."

The ladies arrived to Charlotte's room. It was simple, with just a bed, dresser, night stand, and a floor-length mirror. But it was still more than what Charlotte was used to. She looked around in awe.

"It's so nice," she remarked. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Corrin replied. "It was so nice to meet you, by the way. I hope we can get to know each other."

"As do I."

Corrin left a few moments later so Charlotte could adjust to everything that had just happened. After walking around the castle for a few minutes, she found Xander in the Throne Room, staring into space.

"Big brother?"

Xander whipped his head behind him, but calmed down when he realized who had spoken. He chuckled a little at his reaction.

"Hello, little princess. I didn't expect to see you here."

"I'm sorry to have scared you, but I wanted you to know that Charlotte's in her room."

"Thank you," Xander said. "I would normally ask Peri or Laslow to do such a thing, but I wanted to get your opinion on her."

"Well, I like her a lot. She seems kind and good-hearted. She told me that she sends her parents money once a week in order to help them out. That says a lot to me."

"She didn't mention that. Though she did tell me she grew up poor."

"She said the same to me." Corrin paused to think. "Do you care about her?"

"I do. She's certainly intriguing."

"Do you think you'll end up marrying her?"

Xander grinned ever so slightly. He gave his sister a look she hadn't seen from him before. It seemed like a mixture of adoration and hope.

"It could happen. Only time will tell, I suppose."

* * *

 _Two years later…_

"Please welcome, King Xander and Queen Charlotte of Nohr!

The crowd cheered as the freshly married couple entered the fancy reception hall. Xander's siblings, retainers, and friends—as well as a few of Charlotte's loved ones—were among the loudest to show their happiness for them. Once the cheering died down, an orchestra started playing a soft melody. A blue-haired woman began to sang a beautiful love song while husband and wife danced under the gaze of friends, family, and many others.

"They look so happy," Camilla remarked.

"Good," Leo said. "They deserve it."

"I'm happy that Xander's happy!" Elise exclaimed in an excited whisper. She hugged Camilla and giggled.

"Me too," Corrin added. "He deserves it. And Charlotte is a beautiful bride."

Though it seemed that everyone was happy about the marriage, there was one person unsure about the bride. So much so that once the dance was over for a while, he pulled Xander aside to let him in on his worries.

"Milord, I want you to know that while I'm happy for you, I harbour some bad feelings."

"Do you, Iago? Please, speak your mind. You're welcome to be frank with me."

"Well, the thing is…it's about your new wife."

"Do you not like her?" Xander asked.

"No, no," Iago insisted. "I just have…a fear, if you will…of her becoming Queen. I mean, she'll have no idea what to do! How will she know what to do? I hate to be so negative—given the occasion, no less—but I just couldn't keep this to myself any longer. I'm only looking out for you, milord."

Xander frowned. On one hand, he was rather annoyed that Iago would pick this moment to air his concerns—though it was technically Xander's fault because he had allowed it. But on the other hand, Iago was right—Charlotte had no experience in being royalty. His concerns were quite sound.

"I've already discussed the matter with my sisters," Xander replied. "They've consented to help Charlotte in any way possible. I will also help out, as I know best on the pressures of leading a country. I understand your worries, Iago, but I believe you needn't think of them more. I will make sure that Charlotte is groomed into being a wonderful queen."

"Very well, milord. I apologize for putting a damper on the evening. Please, enjoy the rest of tonight. And once again, congratulations."

"Thank you, Iago. And please, don't feel bad. I understand why you told me your concerns. Remember, you're welcome to tell me what ails you anytime."

Xander then bid his advisor goodbye before leaving for his wife. Iago watched him find Charlotte, who looked concerned. Xander said something—most likely a brief explanation of his absence—before they shared a small kiss. They disappeared into the crowd to dance, leaving Iago unable to see them. He didn't care, though—he decided to push his worries aside so he could try to enjoy the reception while the night was still young.

 _But maybe Charlotte won't be a good Queen_ , he suddenly thought. _No, no, Iago…don't think that. King Xander said that he and his sisters will help shape her into a fine Queen._

With a small, fake grin, he returned to the reception. He made one short announcement before dancing again.

"Once again, let's congratulate the new couple—King Xander and Queen Charlotte of Nohr!"

* * *

 _One year later…_

Xander was not his normal self this day. Instead of being calm and collected, he kept pacing back and forth in a lonely hallway. All he could hear was the sound of his footsteps on the castle floor, and a scream or cry of pain that pierced the air every so often. Each cry from his beloved wife had him more and more on edge. He wanted to aid her as she was giving birth to their child, but he knew he would be thrown out immediately. So he focused on trying to remain as calm as possible. But that task was easier said than done.

Three of his four siblings sat nearby, almost as anxious as he. Elise was the exception; Xander had begged her to be with the midwife, only because if she was with Charlotte, he could be a little calmer. It didn't help much, but it was something.

"Xander, Charlotte will be fine," Camilla insisted.

Another scream escaped the room they all were waiting outside of. Xander couldn't help but smirk.

"So you were saying."

"Lots of women give birth, Brother," Corrin chimed in.

"Corrin's right," Leo added. "I'd also like to point out that Elise is in there with one of Nohr's best mid-wives. I can't imagine something going wrong."

"I suppose you're all right," Xander replied. He paused to try and rub some exhaustion off his face. "Gods, I just wish this would be over."

An hour later, one final scream was heard, followed shortly by a small voice crying. There was no mistaking the source of the latter—it belonged to a baby.

Xander burst into the room, not caring if someone tried to kick him out at the moment. Charlotte was red-faced and exhausted, but seemingly okay. The mid-wife was livid, but Elise was more than happy to share him the news.

"It's a boy, Xander! And he's a handsome one, too," she gushed.

"He needs to leave," the mid-wife snapped.

"No…he can stay," Charlotte muttered weakly.

Xander hardly heard any of the women. He was too busy studying the small human Elise had in her arms. She cleaned him up and examined him carefully. All the while, he squirmed and cried, though not as loudly as before.

Once Elise finished looking after her nephew, she gave her brother a calm smile.

"He's healthy, I promise," she said.

She swaddled the now sleeping newborn in a light blue blanket. Elise handed him off to Xander. He carefully held his son—his own flesh and blood—and walked over to sit by Charlotte. She'd recovered a little bit at that point, but was still fairly tired.

"He's perfect, Charlotte," he whispered. "He's perfect."

Charlotte studied her and Xander's child. He continued to sleep well, allowing the new parents to truly enjoy this moment with their son.

"He really is," Charlotte replied.

"He will be named Siegbert," Xander declared in a soft voice.

"I like that name. It suits him well."

Charlotte took Siegbert in her arms and kissed his forehead.

"Welcome to the world, sweet boy," she cooed. Your father and I love you so much already. We'll be here for you for as long as we live."

Xander nodded. "I vow the same."

* * *

 **There you go! I hope you all enjoyed the prologue. (:**

 **Please review, and stay tuned for chapter one!**

 _\- Elizabeth_


	2. Chapter 1

**Hey, guys! I just wanted to quickly say how happy I am with how this fanfic's been received so far. You guys rock, and I love you all! (:**

 **Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.**

 **Please read & enjoy!**

* * *

 _Present Day_

Things had been rather slow since Siegbert was born. Nohr was in a good place, so Xander and Charlotte were able to parent their son more than they had expected. They loved spending time with their little bundle of joy even more than being King and Queen. Their son slowly turned into their whole world, and they doted on him so much. Still, the couple made sure to keep their kingdom on solid ground. They held a strict yet gentle rule over both their country and their people, causing them to be loved by all. Nobles and peasants alike spoke ever so highly of the powerful couple and their reign over Nohr. Things looked bright in such a bleak-looking country.

Then Xander became sick.

It started off slowly at first. He coughed a little more than usual, and then developed a slight fever. The nurses managed to stave it off, so everyone was calm. But Xander suddenly grew worse over a couple of days. He lost his appetite because he wanted to sleep more and more during the day. But when he did sleep, he often sweated through the sheets despite claiming to feel cold. Charlotte urged the nurses to treat him as much as possible.

"Something's desperately wrong. Please help him!" she begged.

It was only a couple weeks later that Charlotte learned just how serious her husband's illness was.

"We're certain it's tuberculosis," one nurse said. "He has all the symptoms of it."

Charlotte's heart dropped. Tuberculosis was basically a death sentence to anyone who contracted it. She clamped a hand over her mouth to stop a wail from escaping. When she regained some composure, she spoke in a whisper.

"Do everything you can to make him better."

The nurses did just that. They gave Xander every kind of medicine and herbal remedy they could conjure up. Some treatments made things worse, but others seemed to help a little. The nurses used the latter remedies constantly in a feeble attempt to cure the King.

But after a few months of treatment, it became apparent that Xander was never going to get better. By now, he'd begun coughing up blood and had lost a lot of weight; he was merely a shadow of his former self. Despite this, he put on a brave face when Siegbert visited.

"I love you, Son," Xander croaked out. "You're so very precious to me. I love you more than words will ever be able to properly express."

The young child sniffled before nodding. "I love you too, Daddy."

Siegbert was soon escorted out to be looked after by the nurses. Charlotte then sat alone with her dying husband. For a moment, no one said a word. She couldn't get too close to her husband, or else she would likely catch the deadly disease herself. This meant she couldn't even touch him, let alone kiss him. Tears formed in her eyes as she realized how close to death Xander truly was.

"My love…" Xander paused to cough up more blood. "My love, I'm so sorry. I never thought this would happen."

Charlotte nodded. "Neither did I. I still need you, and so does Siegbert! Your siblings…your advisors…our people…they all need you, too! You can't leave me!"

"I'm afraid I have no choice," Xander said in between a gasping breath. "I love you, Charlotte. I've loved you since I laid eyes on you. And I love Siegbert, too. I know you'll take good care of him. My siblings…my siblings will help you."

"It's still not fair that you're being taken away from us too soon."

"As true as that is…I'm afraid there isn't much we can do to fix that. I love you, Charlotte."

"I love you too, Xander. I always will, darling."

Xander smiled weakly before closing his eyes forever. Charlotte wept like she had never wept before. Tears poured down her fair-skinned cheeks as her hands grabbed at the wall for support. The nurses came in to escort her out of the room, and away from any and all prying eyes. She needed to be alone so she could mourn her loss without anyone comforting her. All she wanted at that moment was to be alone.

* * *

All of Nohr seemed to come out to pay their respects for King Xander. There were plenty of tears as everyone mourned a wonderful man, King, husband, and father. Among the mourners were Charlotte, Siegbert, Peri, Laslow, Xander's siblings, and their respective spouses and kids. The children weren't exactly sure how to act, so they all stuck together. Siegbert went over to visit them, but he was distant. Despite their young ages, the other children comforted their friend as well as small children could.

"The kids know why Siegbert's sad," Leo explained. "I'm glad they're not excluding him because of it."

"It really is nice of them," Corrin said with a grin.

Charlotte was oblivious to all that. She had her eyes fixated on her husband's black shiny coffin. She slowly crept towards it, stopping when she was just a foot away. Mourners from all social and economic stations approached the coffin, said a few words, and then left in tears. Charlotte watched until a vaguely familiar face walked over.

 _It's one of the women Xander met when WE met,_ she realized.

Her tears disappeared as her face grew hotter than Hell itself. She clenched her fists tight as she stalked towards the offending noble.

"You have no right to be here," Charlotte sneered.

The woman in question looked startled by the statement. "I beg your pardon, milady?"

"Xander never liked you, you know. He never thought you were worthy! You're just a _harlot_!"

Before Charlotte could beat the woman half to death, Leo and Laslow raced over to cart the Queen away from the situation. She wailed as loudly as she could, while the woman she'd threatened high tailed it out of there fast.

"Gods, it's so sad seeing Charlotte like that," Elise muttered.

"It really is," Camilla mused. "Charlotte's just so heartbroken by Xander's death. I guess it would cause anyone to be a little irrational."

"At least she didn't kill anyone," Corrin remarked.

Peri pouted. " _That_ would've been cool! But yeah, I see your point. I hope she'll be okay."

"So do I," Corrin replied. "So do I."

* * *

A few days after the funeral, Charlotte called a meeting with Xander's surviving siblings.

"I wanted to confirm one thing, and announce another," she explained. "First, I'd like to have your blessings to continue my reign as Queen. I know I'm not required to do so, but I feel like I must."

"I appreciate you doing so," Camilla said. "I respect your wishes."

"As do I," Leo added.

"Me too!" Elise exclaimed.

"That makes four of us," Corrin chimed in. "I know Xander would want you to carry on being Queen."

Charlotte smiled and nodded. "Thank you. I appreciate it. Now, my announcement has to do with Siegbert. He's been struggling coping with Xander's death. I've talked to a few people, who have informed me of something called a Deep Realm. It's another…world, if you will, where a person can live. I'm going to have Siegbert lived there for a short while with some caretakers."

"I don't want to question you, but…are you sure that's a good idea?" Leo asked.

"I'm certain," Charlotte replied. "It won't be permanent— it's just for a little while. The castle holds nothing but bad memories for him right now. I think he needs some time away to clear his head."

"Very well then," Leo said. "I support your decision."

The rest of the siblings voiced their support as well, just not as ecstatically as before. Charlotte didn't let that last fact bother her too much. She smiled when she finally received everyone's approval.

"Then it's settled! Siegbert will be at his new home tomorrow morning! I have a feeling he'll love being away from this place."

* * *

 **There you go! I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter. (:**

 **Review Responses:**

 ** _pichuplayer_ : Thank you! You NEED to play _Fire Emblem: Fates_ , it's amazing! You're missing out, buddy! Anyways, glad you liked the prologue!**

 ** _LittleMissEmblem_ : It got started...and then I had to go ruin it. :D Sorry (not sorry). Their supports are quite good, and I do enjoy blonde Siegbert quite a bit! Thank you for your kind words!**

 **Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned for chapter two!**

 _\- Elizabeth_


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.**

 **Please read & enjoy! (:**

* * *

The next day, Charlotte had maids pack up all of Siegbert's belongings. The child didn't understand why his things were being put into boxes. He wandered to the maids and asked what they were doing, but they refused to answer him, and shooed him in the direction of some unpacked toys.

"If you must know so bad, ask your mother," one of the snapped.

So he walked over to his mother, who was busy looking over Nohr on her balcony. Her eyes seemed to have a mind of their own as they scanned the dark skies of her country. Her lips looked as if they were moving, but she wasn't making a sound. Siegbert didn't know what to think of his mother; he had never seen her act in such a bizarre manner before. But he mustered up his courage to approach her anyway.

"Mama?"

Charlotte looked around in a confused manner, as if to find the person that had dared interrupted her mind wandering. When she realized that it was just her son, she kneeled down to his level with a small smile.

"Hi, darling," she greeted in an overly sweet manner. "Are you okay?"

"May…may I ask you something?" Siegbert asked.

"Of course! What's your question?"

"Why are people packing my things? I need them!"

"Well," Charlotte said, "the maids packing up your belongings because you're going to live in a special world."

"A…special world?"

"Yes! It's called a Deep Realm. The best maids and tutors will be coming with you so they can teach and train you into becoming the best King this country will ever have. You'll even surpass your father!"

Siegbert lit up at the idea of being better than his father. "Are you coming, Mama?"

"I wish I could… But I can't, sweetie."

"What? Why not? Is this because I'm bad? Am I in trouble?"

"No, no, sweetie. I need to stay in order to rule our country. Our people really need Mama, more than ever. If I could come, I would, Siegbert. But please…know that while I won't be there in person, I'll always think about you. This change won't be easy for the two of us, but it's for the best. You won't understand why now, but you will when you get older. I promise."

"I don't wanna leave! I need you, Mama!"

"I know, Siegbert. This is going to be just as hard on me as it will be for you. It's for the best, though. I promise to visit you once a month. I promise."

Siegbert pouted, though only briefly. Despite his young age, he knew that arguing with his mother on the matter would be useless. So he sighed and nodded with the slightest bit of defeat. But he toughed up quickly to put on an understanding smile.

"Okay, Mama. I love you."

"I love you too, darling."

Charlotte hugged her son tight. Siegbert noticed, and struggled to breathe a little as a result.

"Mama, you're hurting me!"

"Sorry," Charlotte replied as she let him go, "I just…I just love you so much, sweetie."

Just then, a maid appeared with one of Siegbert's favourite toys.

"It's time to go, young one."

Siegbert gave his mother a worried look, but she nodded at him with encouragement. He followed the maid off the balcony so he could finally go to the Deep Realm.

Charlotte tried to brush off her goodbye to her son by focusing back on Nohr's landscape. The always dark sky was a deep shade of purple, as if to indicate that it was day time. Black clouds scattered about the deep purple backdrop, but no lightning appeared for a change. Mountains stood far away from the castle, each one looking as if they were tall enough to pierce heaven. The people of Nohr walked about the land, talking and laughing among themselves. Most of them were peasants, but a few nobles stuck together, presumably to find something nice to wear for whatever the next fancy occasion was.

But this did little to ease Charlotte's mind. She kept picturing Siegbert's sad eyes when he realized that he would be off in a strange new place with vaguely familiar faces, but no mother to care for him. With no friends or family members going with him, he would become lonely fast.

 _He's going to be fine_ , Charlotte argued to herself. _He'll be with people I know and trust! Hell, he's safer in the Deep Realm than here in Nohr._

"Milady?"

The sudden voice jolted the Queen out of her thoughts. She saw that Iago stood at the entrance of her balcony with his signature sly smirk.

"Iago? What brings you here?"

"I wish to speak to you, milady."

Charlotte narrowed her eyes. She wanted to tell Iago that now wasn't a good time for such a thing, but she had a little hunch that he wouldn't obey her anyways. Against her better judgment, she decided to let him speak his mind.

"Go ahead, Iago. What is it?"

"Thank you, milady," Iago replied. "Well, I want you to know that I…disapprove of your decision to send Siegbert to the Deep Realm."

"Oh? And pray, what exactly would you do if you were me?" Charlotte asked, baiting her advisor to question her further.

"Keep him with Nohr with familiar people," Iago answered. "I know it's not my place, Lady Charlotte, but—"

"I'm doing all that I can to help my son," Charlotte interrupted. "You are in no position to tell _me_ what to do! This conversation's over, Iago. Don't bring it up ever again!"

She stormed off before Iago could even think of uttering a goodbye. Iago held his tongue, but frowned nonetheless.

 _Siegbert will only grow to resent her_ , he thought. _Oh well…I guess Lady Charlotte will see that in a matter of time. Some lessons can only be learned the hard way._

* * *

Corrin sat in her room with her newborn son in her arms. He was wide awake and giggling at some of the funny faces his mother was making. She enjoyed these little moments with her children; whether it was making Kana laugh or playing with his older sister Sophie, Corrin thrived on every moment she had with her children.

She suddenly heard someone knock in an urgent matter. She set Kana down in his bassinet to answer it.

"Hi Charlotte!"

"Corrin, is this a bad time? May I come in?"

"No, it's perfect. Kana's awake, and Silas is taking Sophie horseback riding. Is everything alright?"

Charlotte released a deep sigh. "Not really, no."

"Oh? What's wrong?"

"Iago had the absolute _nerve_ of questioning me for sending Siegbert to the Deep Realm!" Charlotte cried. "He wants me to keep him here, where nothing but bad stuff has happened to him! He only has bad memories of Nohr, you know? This is for the best, after all. Why doesn't Iago see that?!"

"Maybe he thinks that Siegbert needs to be surrounded by loved ones," Corrin mused.

"Are you agreeing with him?"

"No, I'm just trying to understand Iago's argument. He has a good point, but I understand why you sent Siegbert to the Deep Realm. You only want what's best for him, right?"

"Exactly! You understand what that's like, don't you? I know you want the best for Sophie and Kana."

"Of course."

For a moment, neither woman spoke. Charlotte seemed to sink deeper into thought, so Corrin decided to check on Kana. The infant was quiet, but still awake. He grinned upon seeing his mother's face again. This made Corrin smile in return.

"Do you even _care_?"

Corrin looked up and frowned. "I'm sorry?"

"I don't think you even care that Iago questioned my parenting," Charlotte sneered. "Why don't you care?!"

"I do care," Corrin said. She paused to bite her lower lip. "What makes you think otherwise?"

"You're not upset about what Iago said! You think he was right. I _know_ you do!"

"That's not true, Charlotte! I promise, that's not it. I'm sorry if I wasn't clear enough."

Charlotte scowled, and then slapped Corrin as hard as she could across the face. Corrin spiraled backward, almost knocking into Kana's bassinet in the process. The infant— most likely startled by what had just transpired— began crying as loud as he could.

Realizing what she had done, Charlotte bolted out. Corrin was about to stop her, but changed her mind so she could attend to her baby. She picked Kana up and rocked him against her chest to calm him down. Although the more she rocked him, the more she realized that it was also so she could calm herself down after whatever the hell had happened.

* * *

 **There you go! I hope you all enjoyed it. (:**

 **Review Responses:**

 **Fireminer: Thank you! I hope you continue to read & enjoy this fanfic.**

 **Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned for chapter 3! :D**

 _\- Elizabeth_


	4. Chapter 3

**Hey, you guys! I apologize for not updating this fanfic earlier today! I'm filling in at my mom's work for one of her co-workers this week, so I'm working 8 hour days as a result. I managed to squeeze this out this week, and I'm so happy about that! I was actually beginning to worry that I would have to postpone this update for next week. Fortunately for all of you, I'm still on track for this week! Yay! :)**

 **Also, I changed up my writing style a bit to decrease dialogue, and add more action. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this writing style in comparison to previous chapters, please & thank you!**

 **I own absolutely nothing.**

 **Please read & enjoy! :D**

* * *

A few days later, Charlotte awoke early to prepare for the weekly Parliament meeting. The meeting was designed for her and her advisors to discuss issues facing, create new laws, and debate of old and new laws or bills alike. Charlotte didn't love holding such drab and dry meetings, but they were necessary in order to keep things in check. It was one of the few ways she could make sure that her people would end of being well, no matter what.

Charlotte rose from her bed just as her maids entered.

"We're so sorry, milady!" one chirped.

"We were just about to wake you," the other added.

"It's alright," Charlotte replied. "I don't mind waking up on my own."

The maids relaxed before they began their duties. One gave the Queen her breakfast of fruit salad- consisting of apricots, bananas, and strawberries- while the other began selecting an appropriate outfit. Charlotte selected a dark purple gown with black trim, as well as a matching black cape.

Once breakfast was over, the maids had Charlotte leave briefly to brush her teeth. By the time she came back, each maid had decided who would do her hair, and who would do her makeup. Charlotte's hair remained down, but it was styled into beautiful curls that flowed down her back. Her makeup was rather simple, but still bold enough to catch an unsuspecting man's attention. It all fit Charlotte's personality- simple at first glance, but more interesting upon further inspection.

The dress picked out complemented Charlotte's skin and figure equally well. The deep purple created a stark contrast between it and her fair skin, while the small hint of cleavage gave off just the right amount of sex appeal. It fit her like a glove, much to Charlotte's enjoyment. The cape that draped over its back matched the outfit's dark, mysterious vibe just right. With the black thorn-like crown adorned on her head, she was more than ready to begin the Parliament meeting.

"Are you ready, milady?" one maid asked.

Charlotte nodded. "I am. Where are Peri and Laslow?"

"I believe they have some business to attend to," the other maid answered. "Do you need them?"

"No," Charlotte replied with just the slightest hint of bitterness, "but thank you."

The maids escorted their liege to Parliament Hall. One walked behind her with the end of the cape in her hands, while the other maid forged on ahead. Before Charlotte entered, the maid in front of her stepped aside to open the door. The Queen entered alone, and the maids returned to their chambers at once.

Anyone that had previously been talking amongst themselves quieted down upon Charlotte entering the room. Advisors left and right scattered to organize themselves before the meeting officially began. Once Charlotte took her seat, most everyone had gotten their things together. It amused the Queen to see a group of grown men cower before her- a former peasant turned Queen of Nohr- but she kept her emotions in check. A slight giggle or huff could be misinterpreted the wrong way, and no one wanted to risk losing their head over something so petty.

The only people that were the exception to such punishment were her in-laws, who were also sitting in on the meeting. Camilla, Leo, Elise, and Corrin sat adjacent to Charlotte's seat, eager to begin the Parliament Meeting. They didn't technically have to be there, but all four members of the royal family wanted to be there to stay up to date on current laws, and any bills itching to be passed by the Queen and her advisors.

Charlotte called everyone into order before beginning the meeting.

"Thank you for your time today. Shall we begin?"

For the most part, the meeting mostly dragged on with little excitement. With Nohr in as good a place as it could be, there weren't many issues to talk about. Still, little things such as poverty and punishments for breaking the law were heavily discussed between the Queen and her advisors. No one had any strong disagreements bad enough to derail the meeting, which helped progress things along faster than expected. For the most part, the agenda for today's meeting was rather light compared to the last few meetings.

Then an advisor proposed a new tax bill.

"Milady," he said, "I have a proposal regarding taxing the poor."

"You may speak."

"I believe that raising the tax rate will benefit Nohr as a whole," the advisor explained. "By doing so, the country will generate more money that can be used for good. Such money from higher taxes can be used to spend on better housing, better resources, and plenty more."

"You make a good case," Charlotte said. "And who, exactly, would pay higher taxes."

"The rich, milady. Only we can afford such a thing."

Many advisors echoed their colleague's point, agreeing that only the rich should pay more in taxes compared to their poor counterparts.

But Charlotte was not so eager to agree. She pursed her lips while thinking about the proposed bill.

"Maybe that isn't such a good idea," she mused. "The rich should keep their hard-earned money. If we raise taxes on the poor, we'll be able to earn more money without hurting the rich. Besides, they won't want to pay more taxes."

The advisors mumbled about the change in the bill to themselves. Meanwhile, Charlotte's in-laws gossiped about the sheer idiocy of her suggesting such a thing.

"How can she say that when she used to be a peasant herself?" Leo wondered.

"I don't know," Camilla said, "but it seems strange."

"It is strange indeed," Corrin muttered. She raised her hand to her right cheek. The red mark from her friend's slap was long gone, but the memory was still fresh.

"Perhaps there's a good reason behind it," Elise piped up.

One advisor suddenly stood up. "May I speak, your majesty?"

Charlotte nodded. "You may."

"I believe raising taxes on the poor is a bad idea," the advisor confessed. "Peasants have a hard enough time paying taxes and other expenses, I'm sure of it. We cannot expect them to pay a higher tax rate."

"Are you questioning me?"

The advisor suddenly shriveled up and sat back down in his seat. He may not have agreed with the Queen, but he knew better than to question her further. He valued both his head and his life enough to shut his mouth.

"Would anyone else like to question me?" Charlotte baited.

Every advisor in the Parliament Hall didn't move an inch. Each man kept their eyes on the Queen in a calm yet fearful manner. No one was about to risk their life over the proposal of a tax bill. It simply wasn't worth it.

"That's wise of you all," Charlotte added. "I understand you all are here to better this country and its people. I respect you all for your opinions and expertise. That being said, I think you sometimes forget that, as Queen of Nohr, _I_ have final say in what laws are passed. _I_ can veto any law I hate. And most importantly, _I_ can order any one of your deaths at a moment's notice. Just remember that if I think you're a threat to the throne, I'll have you executed without a second thought. Now, do I make myself perfectly clear, gentlemen?"

All the advisors nodded and said yes, each one more than happy to live another day. Corrin and her siblings could only gawk at the scene unfolding with equally horrified stares.

"Gods…" Leo murmured.

"Since when has Charlotte been so cold?" Camilla asked. "This isn't like her."

"You right, it isn't," Corrin confirmed.

Elise remained silent, the shock of the situation rendering her mute.

Despite the growing tension, Charlotte grinned with triumph.

"So," she said in a calm voice, "I will call a vote for this bill. If I don't receive a majority vote to pass…"

She trailed off, leaving enough ambiguity to unnerve even the most seasoned advisor.

"All in favour say aye."

"Aye!"

"All against it say no."

Silence followed for just a few seconds.

"Then I consider this bill passed! Please prepare the paperwork so I can sign this bill into law immediately."

* * *

Corrin and her siblings had managed to sneak out of Parliament Hall as the advisors had begun writing the new law. They ducked into Camilla's bedroom to talk, as it was far enough away from what they had witnessed.

"I can't believe it!" Leo exclaimed. "Gods, how could Charlotte threaten those people into passing a law, let alone one like that?!"

"It's not too hard, dear," Camilla said. "They have to take her threats seriously. Something tells me that if she won't hesitate to kill anyone who opposes her. A part of me agrees with her; after all, that's how traitors begin. But something doesn't seem right."

"What do you mean?" Elise asked, furrowing her eyebrows with curiosity.

"To be honest, I'm not sure myself. I've just never seen Charlotte act this way as Queen. She never threatened to kill advisors over not passing a law when Xander was still alive."

"Could it be that she's been hiding her true self all this time?" Corrin wondered.

"I highly doubt it," Leo piped up, scoffing. "Perhaps Xander's death is hindering her job as Queen of Nohr. He hasn't been dead all that long."

Elise took a deep breath to compose herself. "Good point, big brother. Maybe we shouldn't think too much about it."

Corrin finally broke her silence. "I can't not think about it. I know that this new law is going to negatively affect this country. Our people aren't going to be pleased with paying more taxes."

"That's true, Sister," Leo replied. "Well, I suppose we'll see how long it takes for such a law to tear this country apart."

"That's it?! You're not going to stop Charlotte?!" Elise cried.

"If it was just me, I would try. But I have my wife and son to think of, as well as my siblings. I'm sorry Elise, but I don't want to die."

"Yeah, you do have a good point. I'm sorry for shouting."

Leo nodded with a small grin. "It's fine. All is forgiven. Besides, maybe this law will end up being a good idea for our people. We could be wrong for all we know."

 _I wouldn't say that,_ Corrin thought. She still had the memory of being slapped by her closest friend over something so ridiculous. With this new terrible law about to be put in place, she couldn't pretend that things were simply going to work out in every single person's favour. She needed to keep her eyes and ears open for when all hell eventually came down on Nohr. The only thing she didn't know for sure was when exactly hell would show up to rip both people and the country apart.

* * *

 **That's all I got for this week! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and that the wait (despite how short it was) was worth it. :)**

 **Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned for chapter 4! :D**

 _\- Elizabeth_


	5. Chapter 4

**Hello, my darlings! I'm so excited to have a new update for you guys! It's going to be interesting, so let's get right into it!**

 **Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.**

 **Please read & enjoy! :D**

* * *

With the Parliament meeting now adjourned, Charlotte abandoned her maids and advisors to find her retainers. Peri and Laslow had no-showed the meeting without even letting her know in advance. To say that she wasn't all too pleased about this would have been a kind way of putting it. Charlotte was hell bent finding her trusted retainers, and receiving an explanation on why the hell they had no showed a Parliament meeting without warning.

After several minutes searching for them with no success, she found Peri and Laslow exiting their chambers. They were dressed appropriately in their armour, but seemed rather exhausted.

"Where were you two?" Charlotte demanded.

"Milady, please," Laslow replied in a soft yet firm voice. "We put managed to put Soleil down for her nap."

"I don't care," Charlotte snapped. "I want to know why the hell you two decided to not show up at the Parliament meeting! You were supposed to be there!"

"Lord Xander never expected us to go to those unless he asked," Peri revealed. "I don't see what the big deal is."

"If we were supposed to be there, you never said anything," Laslow added. "I apologize if I offend you, milady, but Peri and I didn't know we had to be there."

Charlotte scowled with narrowed eyes. "Don't you _dare_ make me look bad. From here on out, you are to be at each and every Parliament meeting for my protection. If either of you complain about it, I'll dismiss _both_ of you, _and_ your daughter!"

"Very well then," Laslow said. "I apologize, milady."

"Sorry, Lady Charlotte," Peri echoed.

"You better be sorry! Gods, I can't believe Xander called you two his retainers! You're both so useless! USELESS! I could have anyone I want to be my retainers. I haven't dismissed you two yet because I know you two have nowhere else to go. Gods, you both disgust me!"

Peri's hands balled up into fists. They shook violently the longer Charlotte's rant continued. She wanted to punch her leige's face in more than she cared to admit to anyone. Unfortunately for her, her husband stepped in before she could carry out her plan.

"With all due respect, milady, I think you're being rather harsh," he said.

Unable to handle being questioned anymore, Charlotte slapped him as hard as she could. He stumbled backwards a few steps, but managed to not fall thanks to bracing for the wall at the last minute.

Peri raced to him to check for any serious injury. Tears began brimming her eyes, but she kept he emotions in check as well as she could. She gave Charlotte a hard look.

"Why'd you do that?!" she exclaimed.

Charlotte scowled again, but didn't respond. She simply turned on her heel and sauntered off to who knows where. Peri was about to go after her, but Laslow stopped her.

"Now's not a good time, love," he insisted. "We should wait until Lady Charlotte calms down."

"Fine," Peri said. "I can't believe she did that! Why-"

"Shh," Laslow interrupted, "I don't want to wake Soleil."

The two went back into their chambers to check on their baby girl. Despite the commotion being as loud as it had been, Soleil had slept through the entire thing. The parents grinned at their beautiful baby.

"At least Charlotte didn't wake her," Peri remarked in a whisper.

Laslow hummed in response before leading his wife out of the room once more. Once they were back in the hallway, he fixed his eyes on a nearby window. It was still incredibly dark outside, despite it being afternoon time. His mind wandered to what had happened with Charlotte, to how happy he was with his family.

"Is something wrong?"

Having been jolted from his thoughts, Laslow gave Peri a calm look. "Not really, no. Just thinking about everything."

Peri nodded. "I don't get why Charlotte was so upset. Are you sure we did nothing wrong?"

"I didn't think we did anything wrong. I guess we were wrong. Whenever the next Parliament meeting is, we're going."

"But we never go to them."

"But Lady Charlotte didn't like that, right? Maybe if we go, she won't slap me again."

"Well…okay. I guess you have a point."

Laslow sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe something happened earlier to cause her to be upset. But I don't wish to take any chances. We'll go, even if everyone else insists we don't need to be there."

"Okay," Peri said.

The couple exchanged smiles before going to find Charlotte. Even though they wished to forget everything that had transpired, it was hard to erase it from their minds. Their liege wasn't the same woman they had met all those years ago- and it was more than a little concerning. But it was simply better to keep their concerns to themselves than to voice them and risk being slapped again. Neither retainer- especially Laslow- wanted to have that happen ever again.

* * *

After stopping briefly to slip out of the more extravagant pieces of her royal ensemble, Charlotte continued roaming about the castle halls. Guilt from what had happened earlier consumed her entire being, causing her to be distracted and disoriented. She knew she had to make amends now, or else she'd risk ruining her relationships with others.

 _Just apologize to Corrin_ , she thought. _She'll understand that you were just upset that Iago insulted you._

Thinking about Iago's comments stirred some negative emotions inside Charlotte, but she pushed them down. Now was not the time to rant about how rude he'd been to her. She needed to focus on making amends with one of her closest friends. That was more important than any filth spewing out of Iago's mouth.

Charlotte spotted Corrin chatting with Leo about their respective children. She nervously approached the pair, with Leo being the first to notice her.

"Ah, Charlotte. How are you?" he greeted.

"I'm good, thanks. Um…I'm so sorry, but may I please speak with Corrin?" Charlotte asked.

"Of course. I don't mind one bit."

Corrin nodded. "I don't mind either."

After Leo excused himself from the conversation, Corrin's smile faded into a look of concern. She covered her waist with her arms as she speculated as to why Charlotte had shown up unannounced.

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

"I came to apologize," Charlotte confessed. "I should've have slapped you. I'm sorry, Corrin. Can you please forgive me?"

Corrin smiled, content with what she had heard. "Of course I forgive you. You were just really upset with Iago. I understand."

Charlotte studied her friend's face carefully. Corrin's words felt sincere, but that same sincerity didn't show on her face. She wanted to believe her good friend so badly. Yet something didn't sit right with her, and she couldn't keep it to herself.

"If you don't forgive me, just say so," Charlotte snapped.

"I just said that I did," Corrin said, slightly confused.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. I don't know what else to say."

Charlotte crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. "I guess I have no choice but to accept your apology…even _if_ it's insincere."

She stormed off in a sudden manner. Corrin tried to stop her, but Charlotte refused to listen. This left Corrin disheartened and concerned, but also extremely confused. Their friendship was rapidly deteriorating over misunderstandings, and it was getting harder to deal with. The worst part was that Corrin wasn't too sure how to fix her relationship with Charlotte without hurting her feelings further- or worst, getting slapped again.

* * *

 **There you go! I hope you all enjoyed it. :)**

 **Review Responses:**

 ** _LittleMissEmblem_ : It's okay! I understand that life can get in the way. Hahaha...Xander's death is the catalyst to all the events that'll follow. I do feel bad for those he left behind, especially Siegbert. I agree that Charlotte sending him to the Deep Realm was an awful idea. But hey, she thinks it was the right thing to do. LOL you won't hate Iago too much in this story...and that's all I'll say about that. :D Anyways, I'm glad you're enjoying this fanfic! I hope you continue to read & review it!**

 ** _zeldaleepalutena_ (chapter one): It's my first _Fire Emblem: Fates_ multi-chapter fanfic; I've written others, just in the _Super Smash Bros._ fandom. Sorry, I should've been clearer. I actually married Xander to Peri  & Charlotte to Leo in my first playthrough, but I'm planning on marrying Xander and Charlotte to each other in my next playthrough of _Conquest_! I'm glad you liked the fluff XD I hope you enjoy the rest of the fanfic!**


	6. Chapter 5

**Hey, everyone! I need to apologize for this chapter ahead of time because it's not nearly as long as the previous ones. The reason for this is that I had to write this a different way, and it ended up being a hell of a lot shorter as a result. I promise to make it up to you all in the next chapter. You have my word!**

 **I own absolutely nothing.**

 **Anyways, please read & enjoy! :D**

* * *

A few days passed without incident. Charlotte didn't interact with her retainers or in-laws unless it was absolutely necessary. After all that had gone on in just a few short days, she didn't want to talk to them. She felt like no matter what she said or did, she was being ostracized for every little thing. Just thinking about having to endure such a wretched thing made her fair skin crawl. She had to scratch her arms hard to get rid of the disgusting sensation. That left red marks up and down her arms that wouldn't go away fast enough.

Charlotte found herself analyzing the marks late one night in her bedroom. She sat on the floor near her bed, sleepless. This was strange and scary; she had struggled recently in sleeping well, but not enough to stay wide awake for hours on end. She usually managed to fall into a deep slumber after spending an hour tossing and turning. But not tonight. She was as wide awake as she would be during the day. Frustrated, Charlotte had taken to sitting on the floor and thinking over everything that had gone on.

 _I need to sleep_ , she thought as she continued studying the red marks.

 _No you don't._

That last thought startled Charlotte. It was loud enough to sound as if another person had entered to talk to her. She looked around, but no one was around.

"Who's there?" she called out in a hush.

Charlotte got to her feet to see if an intruder had somehow managed to get into her bedroom. She inspected every nook and cranny she could think of, and yet she came up empty.

 _I'm not a person._

"Huh? Then what are you?" Charlotte questioned.

 _I'm the voice in your head._

"That's ridiculous. You're too loud to just be in my head. There has to be someone else in here!"

 _You wish. Nope, you're all alone…physically. But I'm in your head…and I have no plans on leaving anytime soon._

Charlotte crawled into bed and pulled the covers close to her chin. She had no idea as to what the hell was going on, and she couldn't understand if someone really was in her room.

"Show yourself, intruder!" she cried.

 _I just told you that you're alone physically. No one else could get in here, right?_

That's when Charlotte remembered the several locks that held her bedroom door shut. She raced over to see if any of them had been tampered with or busted. Amazingly, they all remained untouched.

 _See? You're all alone._

Charlotte walked back to her bed, still not convinced. But she kept that thought to herself in an attempt to comprehend the situation. She didn't know if she could tell anyone what was going on. Not only was it into the wee hours of the morning, her predicament sounded unbelievable to anyone she thought to confess this to. Charlotte ran her hands over her face and through her blonde locks. The stress of it all caused her mind to race faster than it had in a long time.

"What do you want?" she asked, fearful of the response.

 _I'm here to tell you that you're a terrible, terrible person._

"WHAT?!"

Realizing how loud she'd been, she shoved her hands over her lips and hide her figure under the covers. She hoped that no one would barge in and see if someone really had broken into her room. There was no way in hell Charlotte was about to explain to a maid or her retainers why she had screamed.

"I'm not a bad person," she mumbled as she finally poked her head out of the covers.

 _Yes, you are! You abandoned your son in another world! What kind of mother does that?_

"It was the right thing to do," Charlotte weakly insisted.

 _Was it?_

"Yes, it was! What else was I to do?!"

 _I don't know- be a MOM and take CARE of your damn son!_

Charlotte gripped her covers tighter with a whimper.

 _Also, you're a terrible Queen! That law you passed was an asinine decision, and you damn well know it. What's wrong with you?!_

"I…"

 _What excuse do you have for me? It's not going to work, you know. You're an awful Queen, an awful mother…just an awful, AWFUL person overall. If Xander knew-_

Charlotte suddenly lost it. She started bawling as she ripped the covers off. She found Xander's crown- one of his few possessions she'd refuse to part with- and cradled it in her arms. She crumpled to the bedroom floor and wept louder than when her husband had died. She found herself curled up in a ball, weeping over everything. She wanted to change, but wasn't sure if she could.

"What do I do?" she blurted out in between wracking sobs.

There was no answer.

"WHAT DO I DO?!"

Again, there was no answer.

Despite her weeping, Charlotte picked herself off the ground and looked around the room. Even after checking that she was truly alone, she still needed to confirm this. When she realized that she was absolutely alone, she put her late husband's crown back in its place and crawled back into bed.

"Please leave me be…please leave me be…" she wept in a soft and broken voice. "I just want to sleep. I don't want to cry anymore…I need to sleep."

Charlotte use the sheets to wipe her tears away. She sniffled and took deep breaths in a desperate attempt to calm down. It took quite a while, but she managed to calm down. Fortunately, her unexpected crying fit left her tired and unwilling to stay awake any longer. She got comfortable and shut her eyes tight.

 _Let's hope whatever_ that _was never happens to me ever again_ , she thought.

Comforted by her own thoughts for a change, Charlotte smiled and fell asleep for good.

* * *

 **There you go! I hope you all enjoyed it. (:**

 **Review Responses:**

 ** _pichuplayer_ : Charlotte really IS going out of her mind. It's definitely obvious. Glad you're still enjoying this fanfic!**

 ** _LittleMissEmblem_ : That's okay! I hope you enjoyed camping (: Yeah, I feel for Peri & Laslow, too! LOL yeah, Soleil's just an infant. I didn't want to throw all the kids in the Deep Realm plot device...I don't mind it, but it just doesn't work for this fanfic. But yeah, feel free to send Laslow and company a virtual hug!...'cause I won't. :D Charlotte's trying to be a better person; whether it's working is the reader's call. I won't tell you if things will get better or worst- you'll have to find out yourself. Sorry (not sorry)! And YES, Siegbert is a sweetie- a total cinnamon roll. Enough said XD**

 **Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned for chapter 6! :D**

 _\- Elizabeth_


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.**

 **Please read & enjoy! :D**

* * *

Charlotte woke the next morning thanks to her maids coming in to help her get ready. She normally would be more alert and already waking up by this time, but not today. After last night's unusual…events, she was in no mood to be awake so early. But Charlotte tried to keep her yawns hidden as she prepared for the day. Yet the faint dark circles that had appeared caught on of the maid's attention.

"Milady, are you okay?"

"Hmm? Oh, I'm fine," Charlotte replied.

"If I may be bold, you look tired," the maid said.

"I assure you, I'm fine."

"Leave the Queen be," the other maid chimed in. "She doesn't have time to answer such ridiculous questions."

"Thank you."

As she continued getting ready, Charlotte grew more and more uneasy. It started in her legs, where she continued to cross and uncross them. She then scratched at her arms a little, as she grew more uncomfortable with her surroundings. Finally, Charlotte found herself blinking more and more.

"Milady, are you sure you're okay?" the first maid asked.

"Shush," the second maid snapped. "Lady Charlotte's fine."

Charlotte didn't speak up until she was all ready for the day. She examined herself in the mirror before turning to her maids.

"Did anyone hear me last night?" she asked.

Both maids shook their heads.

"Should we have heard you?" the second maid inquired.

"NO! I mean…no, not at all. Everything's fine. Let's go, shall we?"

The maids led Charlotte out of her bedroom, and to the Throne Room. It was Charlotte who spotted her retainers waiting for her. She noticed that they seemed unwell.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Soleil was a little fussy last night," Laslow explained. "We had a hard time getting her to stay asleep."

"It was a rough night," Peri added with a tired giggle.

Charlotte's eyes narrowed. She had a newfound suspicion that Peri and Laslow's story was just that- a story. Their bedroom wasn't too far from her own, so the idea that they had overheard what had occurred in her bedroom didn't sound like a big stretch for Charlotte. She placed her hands on her hips and frowned.

"You said Soleil wouldn't sleep, so that's why you're tired?"

"Correct," Laslow confirmed.

"The nurse said she's teething, so that's probably why," Peri said.

"You didn't hear anything from me last night?" Charlotte questioned.

"No…were we supposed to?"

The maids exchanged worried looks. They had no idea where this conversation was going, but they could sense that Charlotte wasn't in a good mood anymore. That meant that all bets were off as to what could happen next.

"You're lying," Charlotte blurted.

Peri tilted her head a little to the left. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"I said you're lying! You're covering up after hearing me last night!"

"But I didn't hear you, Lady Charlotte."

"Peri's telling the truth," Laslow piped up. "We don't know what you're talking about."

With a large scowl etched on her face, Charlotte slapped Peri as hard as she could. The cavalier fell backwards from the force, and clutched her red cheek. She gave her liege a hurt look.

"When you're ready to admit that you lied, come find me," Charlotte snapped.

With that, she entered the throne room with her maids trailing behind. Peri was about to take a swipe at Charlotte, but Laslow grabbed her quickly.

"Let me at her! Let me at her! LET ME KILL HER!" Peri shrieked.

Laslow dragged his wife away to a more secluded part of the castle, far and away from the Throne Room. Once they made it there, Peri was still kicking and screaming up a storm. She almost grabbed her sword, but Laslow threaded her fingers through her own. Surprisingly, Peri calmed down a little at the contact.

"I can't believe she hit me!" she cried. "I was telling the truth, Laslow! Honest!"

"I know you were," Laslow said. "I guess Lady Charlotte believes only the worst from us anymore. I don't understand why, though; it's not like we've done anything to cause her to mistrust us. We've been nothing but respectful and honest."

"Gods, I'm so angry!" Peri exclaimed. "I'm feeling more stabby than usual! I want to take my lance and cram it up Lady Charlotte's a-"

"NO. It's not worth it. The royal family would have your head on a silver platter if you did such a thing. And Soleil needs her mother…and I need my wife."

Laslow twirled a lock of his wife's hair with his finger. He then moved both hands down to the curve of her hips. Peri rested her head on his chest, and took deep breaths to the beat of his heart. Soon, she managed to calm down enough to not want to kill Charlotte anymore. She was still hurt and angry over what had happened, but not nearly as much as before.

"Better?" Laslow asked.

Peri nodded into his chest. "Yeah."

With a chuckle, Laslow tilted Peri's head up so that he could give her a gentle peck on the lips. He rested his forehead on hers with a sweet grin.

"We need to return to Lady Charlotte," Laslow said. "I know you'd rather stay here, but we still have a job to do."

"Fine, let's go," Peri groaned. "But if I start feeling stabby again…"

"Believe me, I'll hold you back again."

"Ugh, FINE."

Laslow couldn't help but chuckle, albeit in a more nervous manner than before. He knew that Peri wouldn't hesitate to attack anyone if they hurt her feelings. So he kept his guard up in the hopes that by doing so, the chances of Charlotte suddenly being attacked were significantly less. It was the least he could do.

* * *

"Milady, may I have a word with you?"

Charlotte looked from her throne to see Iago approach her. He didn't seem smug or confident like usual; he actually looked concerned for a change. Rather than dismiss him, Charlotte decided to let him speak.

"Sure, what's wrong?"

"I'm afraid it concerns what you did not too long ago."

Charlotte's posture stiffened. "Could you please be more specific?"

"When you attacked your own retainer, just this morning," Iago said. "I'm not sure I understand your motivations for doing it."

"Well, because Peri was lying to me!" Charlotte exclaimed. "And no one is to lie to me, the Queen of Nohr!"

"True," Iago mused, "but don't you think that you may have crossed a line by attacking Peri? Yelling at her is one thing- but slapping her simply because you believe she's lying was a little harsh."

"She needed to understand that if she lies to me, she will receive a swift, harsh punishment. Why don't you agree with me?!"

"Because it seemed unnecessary. I know I don't mind punishing people if they wrong you, but it depends on _how_ they wronged you. I also believe that Peri was telling the truth, but that's not why I came to talk to you. I simply wanted you to know that slapping her was wrong, in my opinion."

Charlotte scoffed. "And you're entitled to your opinion, even if I disagree with it. As far as I'm concerned, this conversation is over."

Iago shrugged with slight defeat. "If you insist, milady. I shall keep a sharp eye on you, though."

"You can if you wish, Iago, but just remember: I have no issue dismissing you for a new advisor. Always, _always_ remember that. You're quite a replaceable person."

* * *

 **There you go! I hope you all enjoyed it. (:**

 **Review Responses:**

 ** _LittleMissEmblem_ : LMAO yes, it is like karma. And yes, my angsty moments & I will fucking ruin you and your heart! XD Sorry,but I won't call the voice Fluffy...you can if you want to, though. She deserves it, but she kinda doesn't. Charlotte's been through a lot, to be honest...stuff she didn't deserve to go through. Thank you for all your kind words, though! I sincerely appreciate it.**

 **Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned for chapter 7! :D**

 _\- Elizabeth_


	8. Chapter 7

**Hey, guys! I have a quick announcement: this is my last update for the summer. Starting next Tuesday, I will be back at school full-time, while working part-time. I will try to keep this fanfic on weekly updates on Wednesdays to see if it'll work with my new schedule. If I have to change the day I update _His KING Always_ , I'll post announcements on Tumblr & Twitter. Follow me on one (or both) sites if you don't already to find out!**

 **Also, a small YouTube channel called The Daily Fandom posted a video in their _Modern Day Storybook_ series with my oneshot _Buy The Stars_! Links to the video and original fanfic will be on my profile in the _Updates_ section for about a week, so please check it out! :)**

 **I own absolutely nothing.**

 **Anyways, please read & enjoy! :D**

* * *

A few months went by with little excitement occurring—other than Charlotte continuing to act out on her retainers, pick fights with anyone who crossed her, and talk to the voice in her head in the dead of night. But all of that were things that the people who lived in the same castle were growing accustomed to. Well, no one had heard Charlotte's late night ramblings yet. Somehow, people managed to be too fast asleep to come across the Queen rambling on and on to no real individual. Yet they noticed how Charlotte grew more on edge and angry as each day passed. There was always some kind of petty, easy to fix issue that sent her into an emotional rage. Her maids or retainers would try to calm her down without making the situation worse, and her in-laws would simply watch without any ideas of how to change her. It was a vicious cycle that differed very little day after day. People became more and more exhausted, almost bored by the stunts Charlotte pulled. It wasn't like she did it for fun; she did it with little regard or care of any consequences.

But things weren't just going wrong inside castle walls.

Charlotte realized this early one morning as she awoke. She'd managed to avoid a psychotic break the night before, but she couldn't avoid the sound of angry people outside the castle. She dashed out to the entrance of her balcony, and quickly chose to not go out when she saw just how enraged her people were.

"Why is this happening?!" she wondered out loud.

She hurried to look presentable as fast as she could. Her maids entered her room not long after, allowing her to exit her bedroom faster than she had expected. Charlotte used her time to consult her in-laws.

"Leo, I just woke up. What's going on?" she asked, out of breath.

"Our people are already suffering from the tax rates that you changed a few months ago. Basic necessities are more expensive, people can't hold down jobs, and poverty is increasing," Leo explained, exasperated. "Now do you understand why your advisors were so against raising taxes on the lower class?"

Charlotte nodded absently before walking towards a window. She got another view of the growing mob. Some people shouted obscenities and insults, while others just screamed about how the hell could their Queen do such a horrible thing to them. They seemed angrier and angrier, even though seconds were all that passed by.

"We need to get rid of the crowd before they get into the castle," she said. "Where are Peri and Laslow?"

"I'm not sure," Leo muttered.

"There they are!" Elise cried.

Charlotte saw the pair trying to catch up to their liege. They reached her in time for her to deliver a simple order.

"Help the soldiers to disperse the mob. Anyone resisted to leaving is to be arrested, and held in jail overnight. If anyone resorts to extreme violence, fight back. But please, _please_ don't kill anyone. It'll look bad."

"As you wish," Laslow said.

Peri nodded. "We'll do it, Lady Charlotte."

After they left, Charlotte resumed looking out the window. Some in the crowd figured out that she was only watching them protest, and word spread quickly. Soon, all eyes were on the Queen of Nohr as insults more vicious than before came from the crowd. Their exact words were muffled because Charlotte was indoors, but she knew that none of them were positive. The crowd grew angrier, louder, and more violent the more she stared, numb and unsure of what to say.

Sensing that she would break down in a matter of time, Camilla and Elise coaxed Charlotte away to check on her. Some servant took the chance to shut the curtains so that the crowd could no longer watch their Queen watch them protest.

"Charlotte, I'm so sorry," Camilla said in a soft voice. "You're a good Queen. Don't let them tell you otherwise."

The words fell from her lips like mercury, feeling both heavy and poisonous. But Camilla just wanted to keep her former sister-in-law in good spirits, no matter what.

Elise felt the same way. She walked over and held Charlotte's hands tight.

"We'll get through this," she said in a firm voice. "I promise, Charlotte!"

"Thank you," Charlotte replied. "You two are so sweet."

Leo couldn't believe his eyes or his ears. He stalked off to get away from the ridiculous situation in favour for fresh air. He'd already tried to point out the poor decision Charlotte had made in raising taxes on those who couldn't afford such a thing. Unfortunately, she seemed to have paid little attention to the part where he'd criticized her; whether it had been intentional or not remained unclear. But what irked him more than that was the behaviour of his sisters—coddling the Queen like she was one of their children. He didn't blame Corrin for hiding out in her bedroom with her family. He wished to do the same, but Elise had dragged him from his wife and son without his permission. Leo sighed before sitting on the hard floor in an attempt to collect himself.

Elise appeared a few minutes later, concern etched on her innocent face. She sat beside her older brother, who didn't pay any mind to her—at first.

"I was looking for you," Elise revealed. "Why did you leave?"

"Uh…" Leo bit his lip and hesitated.

"Please tell me. It's not like you to do that," Elise added.

"Let's just say that the attention you and Camilla gave Charlotte was…disturbing."

"Oh, _that?_ That was just to stay on her good side. We didn't mean what we said. _But_ I did want to comfort her a little, just 'cause seeing a mob of angry would scare anyone, right?"

Leo's eyes widened. He hadn't expected such a confession from his younger sister. He had to stay silent for a little longer to properly collect his thoughts before responding.

"Huh…I never thought you'd do such a thing. Camilla? Maybe. But you? Never. Guess I was wrong."

"I feel bad, but…I didn't want Charlotte screaming at me, and I know Camilla didn't, too. I'm sorry if you felt like we betrayed you, Big Brother. I'm on your side, I promise!"

"Thank you, Elise. And I'm sorry I doubted you and Camilla. Let's put this misunderstanding behind us because we need to go back to our families. Is Camilla still with Charlotte?"

Elise shook her head. "She told her she had to check on Nina again 'cause she's sick. It's not true, but Charlotte won't be angry over that. You know she loves Nina and all her other nieces and nephews."

"That's true," Leo said. "Well, I suppose I should return to Nyx and Forrest. There's no doubt that they're wondering where I am. I know Kaze and baby Midori must think the same for you."

"They probably do. Let's chat again soon—and with Camilla and Corrin, too! Not about Charlotte, even though that'll probably happen anyways. Is that okay with you?"

For the first time that day, Leo smiled. "I don't mind one bit, Elise."

* * *

It took several hours, but Laslow and Peri forced the crowd back to their homes with no lives lost. The task was almost mundane, as many protesters didn't bring any weapons for them to start a fight with. A few dozen citizens were arrested, destined for overnight detention before being released at sunrise without charge. It was a scare tactic so that they wouldn't think of pulling that stunt again.

But during their time wrangling the furious crowd, Laslow and Peri weren't fully invested in their role. They wanted to protect the castle, their friends, and their infant daughter from the bloodthirsty individuals. But it was incredibly tempting to want to tell Charlotte to deal with the people on her own. Still, they had sworn an oath to protect her at all costs, even if the final cost was their life. They had to uphold that oath despite the hell their own liege—the single individual they had to protect and serve more than anyone else—had forced them to endure.

Once the task was finally complete, the retainers, sent the soldiers on their ways before returning to the castle. They didn't run into Charlotte until they got close to their room. She spotted them from a distance and dashed over as quick as she could.

"Laslow! Peri! I'm so glad you're okay," she exclaimed with relief.

"The crowd is gone," Laslow said. "You can rest easy."

"Thank you," Charlotte replied. "I don't know what I would do without you g—"

"Thanks, but we'd like to go to our room," Peri interrupted. "We'll talk to you later, okay?"

The couple scurried into their room and locked the door before Charlotte could respond. They waited silently to see how she would react their bold move. Much to their surprise, she sauntered off without uttering a peep. Once they could no longer hear her footsteps, they burst out into a fit of nervous laughter.

"Gods, I can't believe we did that!" Laslow exclaimed.

"I can't believe she didn't try to stop us," Peri said. "I thought she was going to bust the door down."

Laslow mused this as he picked up Soleil. "Something's gotten in her that's different…softer, if you will. I like it, but I don't know if I'll keep liking it."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm worried that Lady Charlotte's behaviour is just the calm before yet another storm. She could be preparing for another outburst; something more violent than before. We'll have to wait and see."

Peri pecked her husband's cheek, and then their daughter's forehead. "I guess you're right. We should be prepared for anything."

* * *

 **There you go! I hope you all enjoyed it. (:**

 **Review Responses:**

 ** _LittleMissEmblem_ : LOL basically. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? You decide (; How the servants & retainers haven't walked out on Charlotte yet is beyond me as well, to be honest. Iago & Charlotte's relationship is definitely complicated, and that's putting it softly! If you think they'll kiss and make up...never mind, I won't finish that thought XD Glad you liked the last chapter!**

 **Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned for chapter 8! :D**

 _\- Elizabeth_


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.**

 **Please read & enjoy! :D**

* * *

After being brushed off by her retainers in such a brash manner, Charlotte was in one of her worse moods. She decided not to yell at them— for now. She'd let them go stir crazy with fear of what their punishment might be. But she still needed to get her anger and resentment off her chest. She decided on a whim to chat with Corrin, as she was the only sound option. But even that wasn't exactly a good idea; they hadn't even patched up their relationship after their multiple one-sided fight. Still, Charlotte needed to air her feelings out to someone, and Corrin was her best option. It also gave her a chance to fix their relationship for good.

Charlotte knocked on her estranged friend's door, and she suddenly felt nervous. A bunch of awful scenarios played in her head, each one ending with Charlotte abandoned. What if Corrin screamed at her? Or kicked her out? Or told her to never come back into her life? Each similar scenario had Charlotte on edge. She tried to stay optimistic, but it wasn't an easy task. Given how rocky things had been, Corrin could react in a negative way- or maybe in a positive way.

Charlotte lost her train of thought when Corrin opened the door with baby Kana in her arms. The infant was fast asleep, oblivious to the unfolding situation. Corrin on the other hand, immediately had her guard up.

"I need to talk to you," Charlotte said.

"I'm not sure I want to," Corrin confessed.

"I know…but it's serious. I won't lose control, I promise."

"Fine, then. But if you end up doing so, I'm throwing you out without hesitation."

Charlotte nodded before entering the bedroom. Corrin quickly put Kana in his crib before finding a seat on the bed.

"Is something the matter?" Corrin asked.

"With Laslow and Peri, yes."

"Your retainers? Does it have to with the riot?"

Charlotte's hands balled into fists at the fresh memory. But she bit her tongue to keep her composure.

"Well…it more has to do with what happened afterwards."

Corrin furrowed her brows. "How do you mean?"

"I came up to them afterwards to thank them for leading our soldiers into dispersing the crowd. Instead of thanking me properly, they just shooed me away and sauntered off to their room! I don't understand…I was only trying to be nice. I never raised my voice or got angry the entire time! I know this sounds petty, but some appreciation when I give them gratitude would've been nice!"

Sensing that she was about to lose her temper, Charlotte shut her mouth. She took a couple deep breaths to calm herself down.

Corrin wasn't too sure what to say or think about the situation. She sensed that Charlotte's behaviour justified what her retainers had done, but she couldn't be certain. Rather than make any assumptions, she nodded with her most heartfelt expression.

"I understand how upsetting that would be. Maybe they were just exhausted from what they had to deal with? But I agree— it was wrong of them. Would you like me to talk to them?"

Charlotte's eyes widened. "You would do that?"

"Sure. Maybe I can figure out what's going on. I have a feeling that, after what you had to deal with, they won't tell you what's going on."

"Thank you, Corrin…I appreciate it!"

Corrin swallowed hard before forcing herself to nod. "You're welcome."

* * *

"Rough day, huh?"

Laslow and Peri gave their fellow retainer an exhausted look, but it was Laslow who responded.

"Do you think I need to answer that, Niles?"

"No, I'm simply teasing. It was definitely a hellish mess, dealing with such an unruly crowd. I was there, remember?"

"Yes, I do," Laslow said.

"Thanks for helping, by the way," Peri added.

Niles nodded. "Anytime."

"What about I, Odin Dark?! Have you forgotten your good friend of dark magic?"

"No," Peri sighed, "I didn't forget you. I was gonna thank you next."

Odin narrowed his eyes, but suddenly burst out laughing. "Sorry, I was merely joking."

"I know."

Just then, Effie, Arthur, Selena, Beruka, and even Kaze showed up to chat with their friends. They were also quite eager to discuss this morning's riot that had exploded out of nowhere.

"Justice managed to prevail!" Arthur declared. "And it feels wonderful indeed!"

Effie rolled her eyes. "And no one got hurt, which is good."

"Boring, but good nevertheless," Beruka muttered.

Selena let out a laugh. "It's been too long since anything like that happened."

"I was enjoying not having to keep people in line," Laslow muttered.

As the retainers continued to chat about this morning's events, Corrin followed the sound of voices to its source. She got there in time to see Odin making some grand statement about helping clear out the riot the most. He fell silent when he saw her appear.

"L-Lady Corrin!" he cried. "Is something the matter?"

"Relax, Odin. I'm only hear to speak with Laslow and Peri. It's about Charlotte."

"Of course, milady. I shall make my exit."

With that, Odin and the other retainers left Laslow and Peri with Corrin. They exchanged nervous looks, unsure of what was about to happen.

"Greetings, milady," Laslow began. "Is something the matter?"

"I talked to Charlotte just now," Corrin replied. "She said that she thanked you guys for getting rid of the angry mob, but you were rude to her in response. She was pretty upset about it, and isn't sure why you guys did that. Did something happen?"

There was no way in hell Laslow and Peri could confess all the hell that Charlotte, Queen of Nohr and their liege, had put them through. There was a strong chance that Corrin wouldn't believe the stories they had. Sure, she knew that something was wrong with Charlotte; everyone living in the large dark castle in Nohr knew. But both retainers had a feeling that Corrin would believe her friend over them each and every time.

"I didn't think we did so," Laslow lied, fake concern lacing his words. "We were rather exhausted after dealing with the people…they had been quite rowdy, to say the least."

"They were mean, too!" Peri chimed in. "We just wanted to rest after we got rid of them all. I guess we didn't think she had anything to say about what happened, so we went to our room to rest."

Laslow picked it up from there. "It's just a misunderstanding, milady. It sounds like it, at least."

Corrin nodded, understanding how things could've been lost in translation amidst such chaos. She relaxed enough to grin.

"I see. I believe you guys, especially with how angry and chaotic the crowd was," she said.

Peri and Laslow did their best to hide shocked expressions. They kept their jaws locked and eyes straight on Corrin.

"I would explain what happened to Charlotte," she added. "Clearing the air would help your relationship with her, seeing as she is your liege. She'll understand."

"We will," Laslow replied. "Thanks for talking to us, milady."

"Yeah, thanks!" Peri said with her happiest voice.

After Corrin left, the couple gave each other horrified looks.

"What the hell are we going to do?!" Laslow cried.

"Lie to Lady Charlotte 'cause we don't have a choice?" Peri answered. "I don't know, Laslow!"

"Perhaps we'll have to."

"What?! I don't wanna lie to her…Xander wouldn't have liked that."

"Xander's DEAD! HE CAN'T HELP US!"

Peri shrunk with widened eyes. She'd never seen Laslow so angry over _anything_ — and that included when Xander had died. His outburst didn't make her angry or even sad; it just reaffirmed what an awful situation they were in. She simply looked at the floor, speechless.

Realizing what he had done, Laslow ran his hands over his face. He took a few moments to collect his emotions and thoughts properly before cupping his wife's face in his hands.

"I'm sorry…I'm just frustrated with everything," he whispered. "You didn't deserve that."

"I'm frustrated," Peri replied. "I understand, sweetie."

"It doesn't make it right, though. And also…I miss Lord Xander a lot. I wish he was still here… Not just because I miss him, but because then maybe— just _maybe_ — Lady Charlotte wouldn't be like this. I often wonder how things would be if he was still alive."

"Me too."

The couple kissed before Laslow released his grip. Without saying another word, the two went to their room to spend some quality time with baby Soleil as a family. They still had worries over what exactly they would say to Charlotte the next time they saw her, but decided to not worry about it right now. A distraction was all that was necessary for just a little bit.

* * *

 **There you go! I hope you all enjoyed it. :)**

 **Review Responses:**

 ** _LittleMissEmblem_ : Aww, I'm glad you liked it! Yeah, Charlotte's definitely trying to make amends with lots of people. Of course she wouldn't confront the mob herself- that's why she has Peri, Laslow, and an army ready to serve at her beck & call! And yes, what Camilla & Elise did was bold, albeit a little bit of a bad idea. See, Charlotte DOES have some redeeming qualities! XD Oh God, I don't wanna know what image you had in mind...sounds nasty AF. XD**

 **Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned for chapter 9! :D**

 _\- Elizabeth_


	10. Chapter 9

**Hey, guys! I apologize profusely for posting this fanfic a day late this week. School has just been crazy as all hell, and I also had some crippling writer's block when writing this chapter. I also apologize for writing a much shorter chapter than usual. I promise to make it up to you in the next chapter! you have my word. :)**

 **I own absolutely nothing.**

 **Anyways, please read & enjoy! :D**

* * *

"I told you this wasn't a good idea."

"So you've said time and time again."

"Then why don't you see how terrible things currently are, milady?"

Charlotte sighed as she focused her glassy eyes on the ceiling of the Throne Room. Having to hear many different people lament on how the tax raise was such an awful idea took its toll on her in more ways than one. It was all she ever heard anymore, and it was getting dull and annoying these days.

But Iago was right— the tax raise was a bad idea. It had been a horrible one that had left a trail of devastation in its wake. It had tanked the economy, leaving peasants and even middle-class citizens to suffer the consequences. Many had lost significant amounts of money— so much so that more and more people became homeless and starved as a result. After the riot that had occurred just yesterday, it was clear that the new law had been a poor decision.

Despite all this, Charlotte didn't seem to understand just how awful things were. She had seen the angry mob, but hadn't given them much thought. She figured that they needed more time before deciding on how good or bad the tax raise was. It made enough sense for her, so it should have made sense for her people, as well as her advisors. But that seemed to not be the case. Maybe she understood the present predicament, and yet just didn't care. If that was true, that would've been far worse. Unfortunately for Iago and the rest of Nohr, it was impossible to know how Charlotte truly felt about the situation.

Iago was the worst, though. It was as if he got such joy from repeating how raising taxes on peasants hadn't been a good idea in the first place. Charlotte had had it with hearing him say almost the exact same thing over and over and over again. After he said it once more, Charlotte's eyes snapped towards her advisor. It was as if she wanted him to repeat himself once more, just so she could respond appropriately.

"As I've said, raising taxes on the lower-class was a bad idea," Iago repeated.

"Gods, could you stop saying the same damn thing?!" Charlotte exclaimed. "I heard you say that the first time, Iago."

"My sincerest apologies, milady. I just want you to understand how important this is."

The two locked eyes, with each individual giving the other a different look. Charlotte seemed irritated as hell, while Iago looked bored out of his mind. He placed his hands on his hips and looked away.

"What's on your mind?" Charlotte questioned.

"Nothing but the topic at hand, milady," Iago confessed. "I'm afraid I cannot stop thinking about it. I fear that another riot will happen in the future. Furthermore, the next riot can—or rather, it _will_ — be worse than the first."

"We'll worry about it when the time comes. There's no sense in worrying about the future. That's pointless, Iago, and you know it. You should know better than that!"

"Perhaps you're right. But please reconsider, milady."

Charlotte pounded her fist on a knight statue. Its armour collapsed from the force, resulting in a pile of metal on the stone floor. A small dent could be made out on the chest piece, though only with a good look at it. Her eyes once again returned to Iago, only with more fury than before.

"NO. You need to leave now. Leave before I have soldiers escort you out with force!"

Iago blinked, having not expected such a response. He contemplated disobeying the Queen, but quickly changed his mind when he saw just how serious she was. He gathered himself and exited the Throne Room without hesitation. He valued his life far more than trying to prove himself to be right.

Alone once again, Charlotte retired to her gold throne with relief. She sat on its black cushion and thought about her next move. A part of her knew that raising taxes would come with a couple issues; that was to be expected. But the benefits of such a thing would greatly outweigh any and all downsides very soon. The rich would get richer, and they would be extremely happy because of this. In addition, this exact law would benefit herself, her former in-laws, and their respective families! The idea that those same people would object to such a thing seemed preposterous when one gave it some serious thought.

 _They'll understand_ , Charlotte thought with newfound optimism. _I can't imagine the rich_ not _liking the tax break! Money makes things better for people like us, after all. WE need it more._

She shook off yesterday's events for good to finally focus on today's tasks at hand.

* * *

 **There you go! I hope you all enjoyed it. :)**

 **Review Responses:**

 ** _Steel Magic:_ Aww, thanks! I'm so glad you're liking it so far! I feel bad for Peri  & Laslow, too...even though I kinda enjoy torturing them. :D I have no idea why, though...I'm an asshole, I guess. I won't tell you what's gonna happen to Siegbert, though- you'll have to keep reading to find out ;) I hope you continue to read & enjoy this fanfic!**

 ** _THE CREATOR_ (chapter 6): LMAO! Yeah, she kinda IS like Garon, huh? Oh well. XD**

 ** _LittleMissEmblem:_ It's okay! I love the retainers- that scene was pretty fun to write. Their personalities are all so different that it's interesting to see how they respond to one another, even in a mundane conversation. Yeah, Corrin was a good pick for Charlotte to talk to 'cause Charlotte's not exactly tight with the rest of her former in-laws like she is with Corrin. Mentioning Xander was actually a spur of the moment decision, but I think it definitely added to the fanfic's angst. And oh my GOD, your pun was hilarious! I laughed when I read it, for real!**

 **Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned for chapter 10! :D**

 _\- Elizabeth_


	11. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.**

 **Please read & enjoy! :)**

* * *

Later that day, Peri and Laslow decided that they needed to try and talk things out with Charlotte. They hadn't spent much time with her since the violent riot that they had had to break up by her order. They instead spent more and more time with their infant daughter. If this sudden change bothered their liege, Charlotte didn't bother to clue them in. She kept her distance from her retainers as well, much to their surprise. They couldn't understand or comprehend the new change in her behaviour, but they didn't complain about it. That would've been an odd thing to complain about; their secretly abusive liege not being so abusive anymore.

But Peri and Laslow needed to mend this fence before things suddenly went back to their awful normal ways. Maybe fixing their relationship with Charlotte would bring a permanent positive change.

That was what Peri figured, anyways. Yet Laslow was more diligent.

"I don't think we can take any chances," he said. "After everything Lady Charlotte has put us through, we should go in expecting the worse."

"I guess you make a good point," Peri replied. "Let's get this over with!"

The couple finally arrived outside the Throne Room. Laslow raised a hand to knock on the hard wooden door, but stopped at the sound of talking.

"Do you hear that?" he asked.

Peri pressed an ear to the wood, and stood like that for a minute or two. "Lady Charlotte's busy. She must be talking to someone."

Laslow was about to agree with his wife, but then he began to listen to the talking. He realized that there was only one voice present—Charlotte. He strained his ears hard, but he couldn't detect another voice in the Throne Room. This had him convinced that Charlotte was simply talking to herself. But he needed to be sure.

"Do you hear another person in there? I can't seem to hear who Lady Charlotte's talking to."

Pei put her ear back on the door, but more much longer this time. She pulled away with a confused frown.

"No, I didn't hear anyone else. That's weird, don't you think?"

Laslow nodded. "It is. It's almost as if Lady Charlotte is talking to herself."

As if to confirm his suspicion, Charlotte suddenly let out a heartbreaking shriek.

"I'm NOT a bad queen! I'm doing the right thing, I swear! Iago knows nothing— NOTHING!"

That did it. Laslow and Peri raced away from the Throne Room to leave their liege alone. They began to worry that she had or would hear their chatter, and discipline them for eavesdropping as a result. They reached a hallway far enough away that they could stop to talk about what the hell just happened.

"What's wrong with Lady Charlotte?" Peri wondered. "Why would she talk to herself?"

"I'm not sure," Laslow replied. "And truthfully…I'm not sure I want to know why."

As the two contemplated what to do, they heard someone walking towards them. Laslow cautiously approached, expecting Charlotte to start questioning them. But he received an unexpected surprise that turned out to be pleasant, too.

"Lady Corrin! What are you doing here?"

"Hi Laslow, hi Peri," Corrin greeted. "Kana and I are about to go for a walk outside. Is everything alright?"

Laslow and Peri exchanged uncertain glances, making Corrin laugh nervously.

"If something's bothering you two, please tell me," she added.

It was Laslow who cracked. He let out a heavy sigh before revealing what had happened earlier that day.

"Peri and I were about to talk things over with Lady Charlotte, as you'd suggested. But when we were outside the Throne Room, we heard Lady Charlotte…talking to herself. It sounded like she was arguing with someone else, but we couldn't make out another person. We decided to leave without talking to our liege after she screamed nasty stuff about Iago."

Corrin frowned. "That's definitely odd. And you're sure of what you heard?"

"Yep!" Peri exclaimed. "It was weird to hear that stuff out of Lady Charlotte. I know we should never eavesdrop, but-"

"It's alright, Peri. You and Laslow aren't in trouble, I promise. I'll talk to my siblings about what you told me. Perhaps we'll be able to figure out what to do."

"Thank you, Lady Corrin," Laslow said. "I was a little worried we'd be in trouble!"

"Gods, no! If anything happens with Charlotte that has you worried, please tell me."

That last statement had Peri seriously considering telling Corrin about Charlotte's abuse. But Laslow thanked the royal and dragged his wife away before that could happen.

"I know Lady Corrin means what she said, but I still don't want to tell her what Lady Charlotte has done to us," Laslow explained.

"Why not?" Peri asked.

"I want to see if anything will actually happen with this. If things do change, then perhaps we can tell Lady Corrin everything. But in the meantime, we need to wait and see if things will change. I wish to trust Lady Corrin and her siblings to get to the bottom of this. If this fails, I'm not sure Lady Charlotte will ever be herself again."

* * *

 **There you go! I hope you all enjoyed it. :)**

 **Review Responses:**

 ** _Steel Magic_ : Yeah, my portrayal of Iago in my fanfic is WAY different than his portrayal in _Fates_! I was really worried that people would hate it, but my readers love it, so it's awesome. And yeah, torturing characters is a hell of a lot of fun! XD Thank you for reviewing, lovely!**

 ** _LittleMissEmblem_ : Let's be honest: everyone needs a little bit of angst in their life. ;) Charlotte's mind is a mess- and that's putting it gently! The army's probably hiding in the shadows, waiting for their next command. Iago is definitely an interesting character with an even more interesting personality; especially in this fanfic in my opinion. I think because Charlotte's a woman and is small (compared to Garon), Iago isn't nearly as scared of her. And LMAO yes, your pun was just fine.**

 **Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned for chapter 11! :D**

 _\- Elizabeth_


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.**

 **Please read & enjoy! :D**

* * *

Corrin quietly spread the word to her siblings that they needed to meet at once. It wasn't easy to get all four royals in one room these days; they each had their respective families and other obligations that were far more important. But once it was clear that the meeting was about Charlotte, no one turned down the request. In fact, the remaining siblings piled into Corrin's room faster than she had anticipated. It only took until the next morning for the meeting to occur.

Corrin greeted each sibling in a kind, yet concerned manner. Each one could immediately sense that something wasn't right.

"Your note sounded urgent," Leo remarked. "Is something wrong?"

"I wouldn't say something's wrong…but rather concerning," Corrin confessed.

Elise gripped her sister's hand. "What is it?"

"I ran into Laslow and Peri yesterday. They were going to talk to Charlotte, but they didn't because they overheard her talking."

"That's not unusual," Leo interrupted.

"But she wasn't talking to anyone," Corrin added.

"I'm afraid I'm not following you, dear," Camilla piped up.

"What I mean is that Charlotte _was_ talking in the Throne Room, but there was no one else around. Laslow and Peri both insist that they never heard another person talking to Charlotte. It was as if she was talking to herself. She sounded very upset, too."

"That's certainly strange. And they're sure of this?" Leo asked.

"Yes," Corrin answered. "They were both pretty concerned and freaked out about what they had heard. They didn't ask Charlotte about it, though. I think overhearing her screaming about being a bad person freaked them out a lot."

"Wait, _that's_ what she was saying? That's not good!" Elise exclaimed.

"I agree— it's definitely concerning," Camilla chimed in.

"But I don't know what to do about it," Corrin said. "As far as I can tell, Charlotte doesn't know that we or her retainers know about this. I can't confront her, or else she could order Peri and Laslow to death for eavesdropping."

"That is true," Leo mused. "My only suggestion is you talk to them to see if Charlotte has done things like that before, or if she's done so since. Maybe see if she's acted in any other unusual way. If they were willing to tell you this, I'm sure they'll tell you anything else."

Corrin wasn't so sure of that. She had seen how reluctant the retainers had been to tell her about Charlotte's private outburst. There was no way they would tell her or any of the other royals anything going on that was wrong. Both Laslow and Peri valued their jobs and respected their liege too much to do such a thing.

But at the same time, Corrin knew that Leo was right. She and her siblings needed to know everything going on between the Queen and her retainers. Even if the latter didn't want to talk, it was necessary to understand just how…disturbed Charlotte was. It wasn't going to be easy to get Peri and Laslow to come clean, but Corrin wanted to know the truth.

"Well," she finally said, "I'll see what I can do. It may take some time, though."

"That's alright," Leo replied.

Just then, the castle's giant clock tolled with a loud boom. It rang twelve times to indicate that it was noon hour. But to those living in the castle, it meant more than just that.

"It's time for another Parliament hearing," Leo muttered.

Camilla sighed. "Let's see if it becomes a mess today."

* * *

As it turned out, Camilla shouldn't have wondered _if_ the Parliament hearing would turn into a mess. Rather, she should have wondered _when_ the Parliament hearing would turn into a mess. She soon realized this when Charlotte's new idea was revealed.

"I propose a trade embargo on Valla indefinitely."

The advisors dissolved into angry hushed whispers. The royal siblings watched on with horrified expressions. Eventually, it was Leo who asked what was probably the most obvious question.

"Why?"

Charlotte gave her ex-brother-in-law an icy stare. She balled her hands into fists, which soon hit the table in front of her with a thud.

"Because it would be best for Nohr and its people," she snapped. "And may I ask why you're questioning _me_?"

If she had said that to any of the advisors, they would shrivel up in their seat with firmly pursed lips. But Leo wasn't scared of her at all. He had enough experience debating with his late father, and even his late brother. He knew how to keep himself calm when tensions rose. He also knew that Charlotte wouldn't dare order him to be executed or exiled. His siblings and his family would be more than willing to fight alongside him to save his skin. Simply put, Leo didn't have nearly as much to lose as opposed to Charlotte's advisors.

"I'll question your ideas and motives if I feel it's necessary," he answered. "I'm just looking out for you, Queen Charlotte."

"Are you now, Prince Leo?" Charlotte paused to scoff in amusement. "Well, it won't be necessary, thanks."

Elise managed to sit her brother back down before he could act inappropriately. He shuddered with anger, much to the Queen's delight.

"Now," she continued, "I believe a trade embargo on Valla will allow Nohr to prosper. And besides, it's not like they trade many goods with us."

"On the contrary," an advisor interjected. "Both countries give and receive a lot of vital goods between the two."

"Well, we'll find another way to get those goods."

But the advisor disagreed. "Milady, may I suggest a compromise?"

"Oh? What might it be?"

"How about we postpone the embargo-"

"WHAT?!"

"Hold on, milady, I've yet to finish. We should postpone the embargo until you can find another way to obtain the goods they so kindly give us. Our people will suffer immensely otherwise."

The most anyone in the room, it was clear that the advisor was trying desperately to appease Charlotte while buying more time to kill the proposal. But Charlotte herself missed his ulterior motive. All she saw was an alright idea that she couldn't argue against. She slumped her shoulders with a heavy sigh.

"You make a fair point. Alright then—I'll hold off implementing the embargo."

"Thank you, milady," the advisor replied. "And if I may impart some wisdom— sometimes the worst-looking choice is the best-doing choice."

The rest of the Parliament hearing went uneventfully and rather fast. The advisors and royal siblings had a sense that Charlotte wanted to get away from the embarrassment of what had occurred. It wouldn't have been surprising; she'd basically been shoved into a bureaucratic corner and forced to do something she really did not want to do.

After the hearing was adjourned, she had her maids escort her to her room. She changed into some old clothes that had been hidden in the back of her closet. She was fixing her hair when one of her maids noticed what was going on. The maid furrowed her brows in confusion.

"Is everything alright, milady?"

"It will be," Charlotte said. "I just need to go out and take my mind off today's events. I'll be back later!"

She stormed out her room with her bag in hand, leaving her maid so very confused as to what her liege was actually up to. But she soon shrugged it off as nothing. She had a sense that whatever she was up to, she would still be safe and sound.

* * *

 **There you go! I hope you all enjoyed it. :)**

 **Review Responses:**

 ** _Steel Magic_ : Yeah, it really was a matter of time before someone overheard the crazy bitch being crazy. ;P LMAO all joking aside, I can't begin to imagine Charlotte's reaction if she had caught Peri and Laslow. Hopefully Corrin's talk to her siblings will help Charlotte in some capacity. And the Gods better help Peri and Laslow if Charlotte finds out the truth!**

 **Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned for chapter 12! :D**

 _\- Elizabeth_


	13. Chapter 12

**Hey, guys! I'm SO sorry for not updating this fanfic last week...I caught a nasty cold and sinus infection last Monday, and it ruined my productivity with everything. I'm almost all better now, so I was able to knock out this chapter, and hopefully I'll be back on track! I hope you can forgive me for waiting a week longer for this chapter. I promise to try and update once a week, but it may get difficult due to school and work. Being an adult sucks, for real. :P**

 **I own absolutely nothing.**

 **Anyways, please read & enjoy! :D**

* * *

Long after the Parliament Hearing had ended, Peri and Laslow had gone looking for their liege. They wanted to check on her after everything that had occurred, but they also wanted to see if they could speak to hear about their brushing Charlotte off after taking care of the riot. They first went to the Throne Room to find her, but she wasn't there. This surprised both retainers, as they had fully expected Charlotte to be there to cool down.

"Where could Lady Charlotte have gone?" Laslow asked.

Peri shrugged. "I don't know. She should be here!"

"Well, she's not. Maybe she's in her room?"

"Are we allowed to go there?"

"We can ask her maids. That's all we can do."

So Peri and Laslow wandered up to Charlotte's quarters. They arrived to find a locked door guarded by a maid.

"Pardon me," Laslow began, "but have you seen Lady Charlotte? Peri and I wish to speak to her."

"She's not here," the maid replied. "She left to go shopping, I believe."

Both retainers were more than taken aback by the revelation. They exchanged surprised glances before focusing back to the conversation at hand.

"When did Lady Charlotte leave?" Peri asked.

"I believe she left about half an hour ago. She didn't tell me when she'd be back, though. I apologize greatly for this."

"No, it's alright," Laslow piped up. "Thank you for letting us know. When Lady Charlotte comes back, could you please tell her that her retainers wish to speak with her? Please stress that it is urgent."

"Sure," the maid said. "I'll bring you to her when she returns from her trip."

Each party bid farewell to the other before Peri and Laslow started the walk back to their room.

"I didn't know Lady Charlotte liked to shop," Peri remarked.

"Neither did I," Laslow replied in a dry voice. "I'm more concerned that she didn't invite us with her."

"Really? Why do you say that?"

"We're her retainers— we need to be there to protect our liege! With all the turmoil that has gone on, someone could try to kill her! I have no doubt that there aren't a few people in Nohr who wish to murder the Queen because of the new tax law."

"Ahh, I didn't think about that…yeah, that could be a problem. I hope Lady Charlotte has someone with her for protection."

The couple entered their room, where a nurse tended to baby Soleil. The infant was just getting over a fever, much to her parents' relief. They sent the nurse away to check on their little girl.

"Hi, sweetheart," Laslow cooed. "Are you feeling better?"

Soleil giggled in response. She stopped when the back of her father's hand touched her forehead.

"She doesn't feel warm."

"Good!" Peri exclaimed.

Again, Soleil simply giggled. She smiled wide as Laslow held her close to his chest.

"To be honest, I am rather glad that we're not with Lady Charlotte right now," he confessed.

"Is it because of what she's done to us?" Peri asked.

"Mostly. But also because we now have more time to spend with our daughter."

Peri smiled. "That's true, too."

Laslow carefully placed the six-month-old girl on the floor of their room chest first. Almost immediately, she got on her knees and began to slowly move. Peri raced to the other side of the room, just in time for Soleil to reach her.

"Good job!"

"Good job, sweetheart!" Laslow exclaimed.

Soleil smiled before slowly crawling back to her father. As she continued to pace back and forth, her parents beamed with pride. They still held a little worry about Charlotte's whereabouts, but they weren't about to complain about watching their baby crawl for the first time.

* * *

"Ooh, this bracelet's so pretty! What do you think, Selena?"

The woman in question spun around to inspect the gold trinket. She frowned a little before looking away.

"It's not _that_ pretty," she replied. "Sorry Lady Ch—sorry, Charlotte— but it looks cheap."

Charlotte gave the bracelet another hard look. "Okay, perhaps you're right."

She set it down to peruse the rest of the stall's jewelry. Dark brown wicker baskets lined a table underneath shade, each one littered with fancy-looking jewelry that was actually overpriced. Bracelets of different metals were each basket, followed by a makeshift display of earrings pinned on cork. Again, they were sorted by colour, but also by size. Studs were on one board, while another board was plastered with long, dangly earrings that only the bravest of women would dare wear in public.

Selena's eyes darted to a skinny-looking rack with multiple branches. Each branch was lined with simple pendants of varying metals. Her eyes went to the gold necklaces on instinct; gold may have been more expensive, but it always looked nicer on her. Her fingers played with one necklace in particular; it had a gold chain, but the pendant was light purple. The purple stone glistened when it caught even a small amount of sunlight.

 _This shade of purple… it reminds me of Lady Camilla's hair. Perhaps I should get it for her as a gift,_ Selena thought.

But when her eyes spotted the price tag, she sighed in defeat. She couldn't spend an absurd amount of money, even if it was for her liege. She had a family to think of— most, if not every coin she made went towards them. She didn't mind, but it did make shopping a little more painful.

"Is something the matter?"

Selena jumped at the sudden voice. "Gods, don't scare me like that!"

"Oh…sorry. I didn't mean to," Charlotte said in a soft voice. "I noticed that you looked sad…do you not want to be out shopping with me?"

"No, no," Selena insisted. "It's just…I'd like to get this necklace for Lady Camilla, but I can't afford it. I need to keep some money for my family."

"Oh, sweetie, that's okay! Here, I'll get it for you!"

Before Selena could protest, Charlotte swiped the necklace off the rack, and brought it to the shopkeeper. She also set down a small pile of bracelets and rings. Each looked fancy and overdramatic, perfect for the Queen of Nohr.

 _Looks expensive_ , Selena thought.

But Selena immediately regretted thinking such a thing. Charlotte _was_ Queen of Nohr; it was only fitting that she bought such beautiful accessories. Moreover, she could afford it— unlike other people. Who was anyone to judge Charlotte for buying a lot of jewelry? Selena liked to buy fancy, expensive things, too. It wasn't like her to be a hypocrite. So she held her tongue and pretended to look at some cute dresses at a neighbouring stall.

Charlotte suddenly appeared with two paper bags in hand, among the many others she'd already accumulated. She gave Selena the smaller of the two paper bags. Selena peeked inside to see the purple necklace intended for Camilla. She couldn't help but grin.

"Thank you so much. I appreciate it."

"Anytime, darling!"

With that, Charlotte flounced off to another stall that held fancy dresses and other clothes. She and the shopkeeper chatted and compared different items without any care.

Selena watched this from far enough away that she couldn't make out what was being said. It bothered her that Charlotte was so willing to spend an excessive amount of money on things she really didn't need. It felt so hypocritical for her to feel this way, but that's just how Selena felt. A queen shouldn't blow more and more money on such frivolous things when such funds could go towards things more productive. Maybe she was wrong, but Selena was growing more uncomfortable as the day progressed.

In the end, Charlotte's hands were struggling to hold all of her shopping bags. It was so bad that she needed Selena's help to carry things back to the castle.

"Why didn't we travel her by horse?" Selena grumbled.

"I didn't think I was going to buy this much!" Charlotte replied with a giggle.

The two ladies finally returned to the castle, where they were greeted by Charlotte's maids. They were quick to collect the shopping bags from their liege, and they left to put them in her room. Selena had to help them due to just how many bags there were. Charlotte didn't follow them, choosing instead to sit on a chair in the hallway to rest her aching legs.

"Are you alright?"

Charlotte's head jerked up without a second thought. She looked around until she spotted a familiar face.

"Oh, hi Corrin! I'm alright, thanks. I just came back from shopping…I'm a little exhausted, that's all."

Corrin raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips. "Oh…really? I didn't know you went shopping."

"Yeah, Selena and I were out for a few hours," Charlotte explained. "I even bought her a gift she could give to Camilla! Oh no…I just realized I forgot to buy you something! I'm so sorry!"

This left Corrin miffed and hurt, to be quite frank. She concealed these newfound emotions by nodding in a curt fashion.

"I hope you had a good time."

"I did! I would've invited you, but I didn't think you'd want to go. You understand, right?"

 _No, I don't understand,_ Corrin thought.

"It's okay, Charlotte," she said. "I needed to take care of Sophie and Kana anyways. I have to go now…I'll talk to you later!"

She spun around and darted back to her room without a second glance. If this bothered Charlotte, she didn't say so. She simply shrugged it off before finally choosing to retire to her room to fully enjoy all the beautiful things she bought with her riches.

* * *

 **There you go! I hope you all enjoyed it. :)**

 **Review Responses:**

 ** _Steel Magic_ : Your point is bang on, darling! Peri & Laslow are in such a shitty situation. I hope Charlotte doesn't threaten Soleil either, but at this point, anything can happen. Leo was a friggin' BAMF in the last chapter! XD Writing that was so much fun! I need to write a few more funny scenes because this fanfic is depressing AF. Well, I hope you liked this chapter!**

 ** _LittleMissEmblem_ : LOL the irony is real, and so very delicious. ;) And of course her in-laws care...she's by herself with a dead husband and a son sent away. Camilla kinda has a sixth sense, doesn't she? She knew shit was gonna go down! And again, Leo was a BAMF- a BadAss MotherFucker. I'm glad he stood up to Charlotte because someone had to to. To answer your question, I've only played the _Birthright_ & _Conquest_ routes. I haven't had a chance to play Revelations. I only mentioned it in my fanfic because it existed in the _Fire Emblem: Fates_ universe. I figured I might as well mention it. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned for chapter 13! :D**

 _\- Elizabeth_


	14. Chapter 13

**Hey, guys! Now, before you tell me...yes, I know I missed last week. School was a little busier than I had anticipated, so I didn't have time to post this chapter then. But I'm back, and this chapter is finally complete! I hope you feel like the wait was worth it!**

 **I own absolutely nothing.**

 **Anyways, please read & enjoy! :D**

* * *

Selena did not return to her family immediately after her shopping trip with Charlotte. She instead went to her liege, Camilla, so she could give her the gift Charlotte had bought. Selena knocked on Camilla's door.

"Who is it?"

"Selena, your retainer."

Camilla answered the door a moment later. "Come in, darling."

Once Selena entered, she placed her shopping bags on the ground with an exhausted sigh.

"Seems like you've had a long day," Camilla remarked with a giggle.

"Kind of," Selena admitted. "I hope you're not mad."

"Nonsense! I'm happy to give you a break every now and then. You work so hard for me and for your family that you deserve to treat yourself."

"Thanks, milady. I, uh…I got you something. I saw it, and thought of you."

Selena grabbed a white jewelry box out of a smaller shopping bag, and handed it to Camilla. She opened it, only to gasp at the beautiful necklace.

"Selena, you didn't-"

"I know, and I probably shouldn't have. But I just couldn't resist. I hope Niles won't be mad."

Camilla played with the purple pendent with a small grin on her face. The shade matched her hair perfectly, and looked rather delicate in her hands. She managed to put it on, and then proceeded to study her reflection in a nearby mirror.

"It's beautiful, Selena. And please— Niles won't be mad. I always appreciate my retainers treating me. How did you find this?"

"I just spotted it while browsing the shops. I wasn't going to get it at first because it was really expensive. But…well… Lady Charlotte insisted on buying it for me. I'm sorry, milady, but I couldn't bring myself to say no to her."

Camilla looked away from the mirror to eye her retainer carefully. "Don't apologize, Selena. Charlotte's been…stressed a last little while. I'm glad you let her act normal for a while. I hope she didn't cause a scene."

"She didn't," Selena insisted. "But…"

"But what? You can tell me anything."

Selena hesitated anyways. She still had some concerned how about Charlotte's spending, but wasn't sure if she should bring it up. But she eventually decided to come clean about her worry.

"Lady Charlotte bought a _lot_ of stuff today," Selena explained. "I know I like to shop, but Lady Charlotte bought way more than I would ever dream of. I'm a little worried, really. Maybe it's because she's the Queen, but I feel like she shouldn't have bought so much. Er…I'm sorry if I'm speaking out of line, milady."

"No, no," Camilla said, "it's alright, dear. That concerns me as well. I'll definitely look into it with Leo. He has the brains to understand where the royal money is coming and going."

"Thank you, milady. I hope you're not upset with."

"I'm not, darling…but I may be mad at Charlotte soon. You don't have to worry about that, though; go spend time with your family."

Selena didn't need to be told twice. She hightailed it to her room to relax with her family after such a long day.

* * *

Leo sat in his room reading a new history book in his lap. A warm cup of tea sat at arms' length away to tickle his taste buds when needed. His wife and son were away for Forrest's play date with another child. So Leo decided to use such rare silence to enjoy some alone time.

"Leo?"

 _Well, so much for that._

The man in question looked up with feigned annoyance in his eyes, but quickly changed to genuine concern when he saw who had interrupted him.

"Hi, Camilla. Is everything okay? You look worried."

"It's about Charlotte."

Leo threw his book down as fear and worry flooded his body. "What's happened?"

"She hasn't attacked anyone or yelled at anything, dear. It has to do with money."

"Money?"

Camilla nodded. "Selena said that Charlotte spent an alarming amount of money when the two were out shopping today. It concerns me a little because we can't have her spending too much money on material things."

"You're right about that," Leo said. "There are written financial records of how the royal money is spent, and Charlotte knows that she has to maintain it daily. Perhaps we should go over them to see if there's anything unusual."

"Thanks, little brother. I appreciate it!"

The two siblings strolled to a small study, tucked in a mostly abandoned part of the castle. It was big enough to contain a couple tall shelfs, but they were beginning to overflow with papers and books of varying topics. Financial records were stored by month in one of the lower shelfs so that anybody could reach it with ease. Leo had no trouble finding the book, which he then handed off to Camilla.

"Here it is."

Camilla flipped through to the current month of financial statements. Records of money spent on groceries, supplies, and weapons were listed in slightly messy handwriting. But Camilla could still understand what had been written. She skimmed through, only to find nothing that concerned her. There were no mentions of clothing, perfume, or any frivolous items bought within the month.

"I don't see anything worrying," Camilla remarked. "She probably hasn't thought of writing what she bought today. I'm sure she will. What do you think, darling?"

But Leo hadn't heard a word. He had continued to look through the shelfs for anything that even seemed to be out of place. His persistence paid off when he found a dusty pink book wedged between history textbooks.

"Do you know what this is?" he asked.

Camilla shrugged. "I've never even seen it before."

Leo opened it, and soon realized that it was similar to what his sister had been reading. But instead of money being spent on necessities, Charlotte had written financial statements on money spent on material things for her and her alone. There were dozens upon dozens of pages filled with similar purchases, totaling into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Leo practically shoved the book to Camilla.

"You're going to want to read this."

It didn't take long for Camilla to read what her brother had read. She slammed the pink book shut with wide eyes full of fury.

"How…how dare she?!"

"Please," Leo begged, "now is not the time to get angry. We need to be calm when we confront Charlotte about this. She'll get angry if we confront her in an angry manner."

"Well, yes…you're right. I suppose I should keep my composure as long as I can. When should we confront Charlotte?"

"Why not now?"

Camilla suddenly grinned. "I didn't think of that, to be honest. Let's go, shall we?"

"Just prepare for the worst," Leo said with a grin of his own.

* * *

Charlotte had no idea why Camilla and Leo wanted to speak with her immediately. She had been relaxing in her room in a peaceful state when her maid told her that her former in-laws wished to have a chat with her. It was getting to be evening, so the request was more than a little unusual. But when her maid explained that both royals really needed to talk to her, Charlotte didn't hesitate. She threw on a nice outfit before hurrying to the Throne Room.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to keep you two waiting!" she exclaimed as she raced in the room.

"It's alright," Leo replied. "We're sorry to spring this on you last minute."

Camilla nodded, but didn't speak up.

"It's okay, I'm sure it's important," Charlotte said. "So, is everything okay?"

"Not really," Camilla snapped. "See, someone brought up some…concerns. Concerns about your spending."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Leo plucked the pink notebook from behind his back. "Are you sure you want to say that?"

In an instant, Charlotte's face grew white. She tried to look away from both of her ex-in-laws and their judgmental stares. She suddenly stood up to get away from the tense situation.

"Don't try to run away," Camilla warned. "That isn't going to fix this."

"I'm not running away," Charlotte sneered. "Can't I stand up?"

"I'm simply worried that you're going to try and run from this problem. You can't do that, and you know it."

"Please don't start," Leo piped up.

Charlotte glared at him. She ran forward and slapped him across the face. The impact was so sudden and strong that he lost his balance and stumbled to the floor. He held his now red cheek in bewilderment.

"What the hell, Charlotte?!"

"How DARE you slap my brother?!" Camilla cried. "Gods, what is wrong with you?!"

Camilla lunged for Charlotte, but the Queen was faster. She dodged the coming blow before hightailing it back to her room. She dragged a nearby guard with her to act as a human shield, forcing Camilla to retreat. She wanted to pound Charlotte into the ground for attacking Leo, but the guard had a lance in his possession. With no weapons on her, Camilla had no choice but to let Charlotte escape.

"Tomorrow, we need to talk to Elise and Corrin about this," Leo said. "They need to know what's happened."

"Agreed," Camilla replied. "I'm all out of ideas on what to do with Charlotte."

* * *

 **There you go! I hope you all enjoyed it. :)**

 **Review Responses:**

 ** _LittleMissEmblem_ : I'm not sick anymore, thank God! Colds are annoying AF. Charlotte's not as much of a hermit as she seems. The scene with Peri, Laslow, and Soleil was so much fun to write! I was almost squealing as I was writing it LOL XD Yep, Charlotte's a fucking hypocrite. Aren't hypocrites the best? I feel bad for Corrin, too...being snubbed like that would hurt like hell.**

 ** _Steel Magic_ : Yeah, being sick sucks, but not as much as being an adult...ugh. Soleil's a doll, really. Still, Kana's adorable in canon, in my honest opinion. Sorry! XD Charlotte's such a complex character...it's a lot of fun for me to write because I can do a lot of different things with her. I enjoy it, but yeah- she's a selfish bitch. LMAO I hope you continue to enjoy this fanfic!**

 ** _THE CREATOR_ : It's part Conquest, part AU. It all happens in Nohr, but the Conquest plot does not take place. That's why those from the Birthright path won't be in this fanfic. I'm sorry if that disappoints you. Oh my GOD, I can't see myself writing a scene where Charlotte tries to hurt Kana!...but then again, who knows?**

 ** _Guest_ : LMAO Leo is fun to write, if for that and that alone. As for your question, I'm not sure if Shigure will make an appearance. I'll see if I can, though. Keep your eyes peeled!**

 **Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned for chapter 14! :D**

 _\- Elizabeth_


	15. Chapter 14

**Hey, you guys! So after an unexpected two week delay thanks to school & work, I'm finally back with a brand new chapter! I won't write a massive author's note here, just so you can get right into this brand new chapter!**

 **I own absolutely nothing.**

 **Please read & enjoy! :D**

* * *

The emergency meeting held by the royal family had definitely been a long time coming. No one would ever say so, but each sibling knew that they needed to talk about Charlotte's behaviour. It was more surprising that this sort of arrangement had yet to occur. Alas, all the siblings were just relieved that they could discuss Charlotte's recent antics away from her. They needed to keep most of their concerns silent— for now.

Leo scanned the room as his siblings made themselves tea and settled in his bedroom. Camilla and Elise briefly laughed over a story Elise had told about baby Midori whilst making tea. Corrin was silent, having chosen not to get anything to drink. She seemed distracted and depressed, not to mention off in her own little world. Leo nudged her with his knee to bring her back to reality.

"Is everything alright?" he asked.

"I have a lot on my mind right now."

"Does it have to do with Charlotte?"

Corrin sighed. "Maybe."

Camilla and Elise joined their siblings with newfound concern. It was Elise who spoke up first.

"What happened? Are you okay, Big Sister?"

"I'll be fine, Elise. It's nothing," Corrin lied. "Let's begin this meeting. Leo, would you like to start?"

Leo reluctantly nodded. "I called this last minute meeting after mine and Camilla's last encounter with Charlotte."

"I take it something happened," Corrin remarked.

"She almost attacked us!" Camilla exclaimed. "We confronted her over all of her excess spending on silly things. I'm glad Leo and I managed to get away from her before things got really ugly!"

"Why is Charlotte spending money on 'silly things'?" Elise asked with wonder.

"Who knows," Camilla said. "Maybe it has to do with her irrational behaviour?"

"Makes sense," Corrin piped up. "It'd also explained the couple times she slapped me over nothing."

"WHAT?!"

Corrin felt herself shrink at her siblings' cries. She swallowed hard before speaking again.

"It happened quite some time ago. The first time was after she got into a fight with Iago because she thought that I agreed with Siegbert not going to the Deep Realm. The second time was when she decided that I didn't truly forgive her for the first time she slapped me."

Leo gave his sister a stunned look. "Why didn't you tell me this?"

"I'm not sure," Corrin replied. "I guess shame was the reason. It's silly, I know, but I simply can't think of another reason. I'm sorry for not telling you all sooner. I also didn't realize that she had become violent to others."

Elise got up to hug her older sister to comfort her. Corrin accepted the hug with a small smile, as well as a tighter hug from Camilla.

"Something needs to be done," Leo said. "We can't keep living this way. Charlotte can't continue to get away with such appalling behaviour."

"I agree," Camilla said, "but what can we do?"

"Wait a second! Siegbert's in the Deep Realm, right?" Elise asked.

"Yes, he is. Why do you ask, darling?"

"Maybe what Charlotte needs is to see her son! What if we have her visit him? One of us could go as well to make sure that things go well."

Corrin grinned. "That sounds like a great idea, Elise."

"In theory, yes. But I'm not sure I'm willing to place Siegbert in such danger," Leo cautioned. "I know they're mother and son, but the fact that Charlotte hasn't seen her son in months means that he has no idea what's gone on. We need to protect him— physically _and_ emotionally."

Elise sighed sadly. "Good point."

"How about one of us visit Siegbert to see how he's doing inside the Deep Realm?" Camilla suggested. "I'm curious to know how my little nephew is anyways."

"Okay, I can understand that," Leo said. "I've been wondering how Siegbert is, too, I must admit. Besides, I never did find out what kind of place Charlotte sent him to. I can go to the Deep Realm, if you wish."

"Are you sure, sweetie?" Camilla asked.

Leo nodded. "Corrin has Kana to worry about, and Elise has Midori. I know you have Nina to look after, too. My wife has no issue taking care of Forrest while I'm gone. Besides, I think Siegbert would be more comfortable around me because I remind him so much of Xander."

"I'm good with you going," Corrin said.

"So am I!" Elise added.

"Well…alright," Camilla concluded. "But please tell him that his aunts all love him so!"

"I promise, Camilla. I promise."

Leo couldn't help but notice that his sister seemed slightly jealous that she wasn't the one that would be visiting their nephew. But he knew that deep down, she was more than glad that Siegbert would have a visitor after so much time away from loved ones. The only regret on his and his sisters' minds was that they hadn't visited little Siegbert sooner.

* * *

The next day, Leo made his journey to the Deep Realm. He arrived to find a lush world with a bright blue sky empty of any clouds. The sun shone on the green grass as a cool breeze caused leaves to shake slightly. He could see a couple animals off in the distance, but they paid him no mind. They were too far away to even notice his presence in this new world.

Leo grinned at the sights and sounds as he may his way to a cabin located seemingly in the middle of everything. He had a sense that that was Siegbert's home, given that no other homes or buildings were around. He swallowed the small amount of guilt that hit him in that moment. The thought of his nephew having to live away from the love and comfort of family disturbed him more than his mother's crazy antics. He knocked on the cabin's door, and waited for an answer. He frowned with concern when a blonde young man answered, but then gasped.

 _He looks like Xander when he was younger!_

"Can I help you?"

Leo snapped out of his thoughts to focus on the situation at hand. He cleared his throat before speaking.

"Are you Siegbert?"

"I am…how do you know my name?"

"I'm Leo, your uncle."

Siegbert looked as stunned as Leo had just moments ago. This had Leo worried of his nephew's final reaction. Would Siegbert be angry and blame him for being stuck in this Deep Realm so many years ago? Would he want nothing to do with him?

 _And how the hell did he grow up that fast?_

That last question came out before Leo could think to contain himself. He blushed, embarrassed, but Siegbert laughed. It sounded eerily similar to Xander's when he was a teenager.

"Time passes by differently here in the Deep Realm," Siegbert explained. "Everyone ages here the same way. I had to keep getting new servants because they found that they were aging faster than they wanted to. I'm became fourteen far faster than anyone in the regular world would."

"Does it bother you that you aged so quickly?" Leo asked.

"No, not really. I like being older. I still got to have a childhood, too."

"Well, that's good. Siegbert, I know no one from our family has visited since you came here, including your mother. I'm so, so sorry you had to endure such a terrible hardship, and then be forced to suffer here on your own. I want you to know that your aunts and I tried to push for you to stay in Nohr, we really did! But your mother insisted that you needed to stay here. Please, please forgive me for what you've gone through. I and my sisters have thought about you often, wondering how you are."

"I forgive you, Uncle. I forgive you because I always sensed that this was not your or my aunts' fault. I know you wished to keep me in Nohr. But I also forgive you because I know it's what Father would have wanted."

This was too much for Leo. He sat on the cabin steps to collect himself, and to keep himself from crying. Siegbert soon joined him to provide comfort. Leo chuckled at the situation.

"Here I was, expecting to comfort you, but it's turned out to be the other way around," he explained. "Gods, you really are like your father."

"You think so?"

"Absolutely. Tell me…do you remember him at all?"

Siegbert nodded.

"Tell me your favourite memory of Xander."

"It's small, but…I remember Father taking me for a walk on the castle grounds. It was fall, and the few leaves in Nohr were all over the grass. Father created a pile, and I jumped in them while laughing. Father jumped in too, and that also made me laugh! I usually saw him act so serious, so to see him so…childlike, if you will… it was nice. I'll always treasure it."

"Good. He'd be proud of you, Siegbert."

"I hope so. I want to be a King that he'd be proud of."

Leo couldn't help but grin through his tear-filled eyes. "Gods, you really are a lot like your father. It makes me so proud. You'll make a fine king— I mean it."

"Thank you, Uncle Leo!" Siegbert exclaimed. "Uh…I don't want to sound rude, but why did you come to visit?"

"I wanted to see how you've been. The guilt of not seeing you has taken its toll on me greatly. Your aunts wanted to see you too, but they have their families to attend to. You have a lot of cousins, including my son, Forrest. But they're all so little because they live in Nohr. I'm so sorry."

"Please, don't worry about it. I'm sure they'll still love me as their cousin despite the massive age gap. Oh, by the way— how's Mother?"

Leo turned pale almost in an instant.

"What's wrong, Uncle? Is she dead?"

"No, no. Your mother is alive, I promise."

"Is she sick?"

"She is, but… not the kind of sick you're thinking of."

Siegbert's concerned face turned to confused. "Forgive me, but I'm afraid I'm not following you."

"Since you've been gone, your mother has lost her way. She's been acting erratically since your father died and you went away. Screaming over nothing, fighting with advisors, passing laws that hurt our people, abusing the family, spending money on unnecessary things…it's horrible. I can't explain how or why Charlotte became this way. It seemed to come out of nowhere."

The revelation about his mother's mental instability was almost unbelievable to Siegbert. He had to sit there in silence for several moments to process everything he had just heard. He blinked hard a few times before finally responding.

"Are you sure you're talking about my mother?"

Leo slowly nodded. "I am, Siegbert. I'm so sorry my sisters and I have let you down. I guess a part of us kept you in the Deep Realm longer than we wanted just to protect you from your mother. She's not the same kind woman you knew as a young boy. There's something wrong with Charlotte, and we're not sure what to do about it."

"I... I see."

"I feel awful for having you tell you this, but I believe that you needed to know. My sisters and I want to keep you up to date on everything going on in our world because you deserve it, especially since you've been alone for so long."

"I understand, and I appreciate it," Siegbert admitted. "It's just hard to hear about my mother suffering. Will I see her again?"

"I want you to, but not this instant," Leo replied. "If you don't mind— and please forgive me because what I'm about to propose is rather sudden— I'd like to stay here with you for a few days. I want to really get to know you, and teach you about your aunts, uncles, and all your cousins. Is that alright with you?"

Siegbert smiled. "I would love for you to stay, Uncle."

* * *

 **There you go! I hope you all enjoyed it. :)**

 **Review Responses:**

 ** _Steel Magic_ : Charlotte's just full of surprises, ain't she? XD As for Peri & Laslow...we'll see what's gonna happen. Ahhhh, I love m!Kana so freaking much! I also get why you're so attached to Soleil. It's the same reason that I'm pretty attached to Sophie too, 'cause I've only married Silas so far. But yeah, Soleil's pretty cute, too. I'm so glad that you liked the last chapter!**

 ** _THE CREATOR_ : LOL "female Garon"...I love it! Oh my Jesus, I won't let her do that, if only because I don't want her to hit a baby! I love all the children too much to do such a thing. LMAO Leo doing THAT would be awesome. XD**

 **Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned for chapter 15! :D**

 _\- Elizabeth_


	16. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.**

 **Please read & enjoy! :D**

* * *

"Lady Charlotte, we've been over this already."

"That's correct. We cannot explain it any other way."

"This idea is a bad idea, Lady Charlotte. I'm sorry."

Charlotte scanned the Parliament Hall in a slow, careful manner. Her eyes fell to each and every advisor— both who had spoken, and those that had not said a word. She could feel her blood begin to boil in her veins and arteries, but she managed to keep such negative emotions inside her heart and mind. It still didn't make their words feel better, though.

 _All I want is for everyone to accept my idea of a trade embargo on Valla_ , she thought with pure bitterness.

"But it will benefit all of Nohr," she argued weakly. "Don't you want Nohr to prosper?"

"Yes, we do," one advisor replied. "That's why we're informing you that it's an awful idea."

"We want the best for you and Nohr," another advisor added.

"That's not true!" Charlotte cried. "You're all against me!"

By this point, Iago had listened to everything with interest as to what would happen next. He knew that Charlotte would defend any decision she made with the passion and determination of a thousand soldiers. But it was beginning to get old and bothersome. He was sick of the antics she pulled to get her way. She had managed to pull it off once with the terrible tax increase law against the lower and middle-class. Iago didn't want Charlotte to get her way again. Without hesitating, Iago boldly stood up in the middle of the Parliament hearing.

"I'VE HAD IT!"

The room fell silent in an instant. Charlotte stared at Iago with a look of disbelief and anger. But before she could respond, Iago continued to scream and shout.

"Your idea of putting a trade embargo on Valla— a country that is also one of our most trusted and respected allies— and for what? There is nothing to gain, and everything to lose with implementing such a terrible idea! I shall go so far as to say that if you _do_ go through with the trade embargo on Valla, I will walk out on you for good. And _no_ , I am _not_ bluffing, milady."

One by one, advisors chimed in with their support of walking out on the Queen. They each stood up and chanted their support with no fear or hesitation. This left Charlotte both baffled and concerned. She tried to speak up, but any words she managed to squeak out were muffled by the shouts and protests of her advisors.

Charlotte felt all the blood drain from her face. Her already fair skin grew whiter than white, forcing her to sit down in order to regain her composure. She waited to see if the shouting would eventually die down, but it quickly became apparent that that wouldn't happen soon.

Leo suddenly stood up to restore order in the Parliament Hall. It took several minutes, but the shouting was soon replaced with silence. Once he and all the advisors sat back down, Charlotte stood up once again to speak.

"I can't rule Nohr properly without your help," she admitted. "I need your help…I need _all_ of your help. With that, I've decided to drop the subject altogether. I will not implement a trade embargo on Valla. I won't even bring up the issue again. I promise."

Her words seemed to calm everyone down significantly. Soon after, the meeting was adjourned. The tension was mostly gone by then, but it was evident that everyone was still on edge after such an emotionally-charged hearing. Charlotte was one of them, as was Iago. He almost seemed shaken by his own outburst.

Charlotte approached him after most of the advisors had left.

"Iago, I need your help."

"What do you need me for, milady?"

"I think the trade embargo could go through with your support. Will you please help me?"

Iago could've sworn his eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. What was truly going on in Charlotte's mind? He thought she had been sincere when just moments ago, she had insisted to all of her advisors that she would drop the issue. Had she been lying through her teeth? Iago couldn't tell anymore.

"I thought you wanted to drop the issue," he said.

"For now," Charlotte clarified. "But I will bring it up in a few months. It would benefit Nohr to put in a trade embargo on Valla, wouldn't it?"

"No, it would not! And beg pardon milady, but I really don't appreciate you saying one thing to everyone, and then another to me. It's despicable! I thought I was despicable, but you actually put _me_ to shame, milady. You're an awful person, as far as I'm concerned."

Iago stormed off before Charlotte could think of an appropriate response to his nasty comments. She stood there in a haze of despair and disappointment when Corrin suddenly walked by.

"Corrin! I need to talk to you!"

"Not now, Charlotte."

Corrin stormed off with ice in her eyes. It didn't take long for Charlotte to realize that her once dear friend was still upset over her impromptu shopping trip with Selena that had occurred the other day. Charlotte wasn't sure by Corrin was all that upset, but that didn't mean she didn't want to fix their relationship.

Now finally alone in the Parliament Hall, Charlotte stared towards her empty throne with an unclear mind and heart. She had a hell of a lot of work to do if she wanted to restore faith in her people as their Queen, as well as fixing all the personal relationships she had destroyed so carelessly in such a short time.

But how could she fix all her problems, and how could she go about it in such a fragile state of mind?

* * *

 **There you go! I hope you all enjoyed it. (:**

 **Review Responses:**

 ** _Steel Magic_ : Siegbert is such a cinnamon roll that I honestly can't imagine him reacting to such a shitty the situation in any other way. And yeah, I'm not such how positive Charlotte's reaction to seeing her son would be. Writing Leo & Siegbert together was a lot of fun, to be honest. I truly enjoyed it, and I'm glad you enjoyed reading their interaction!**

 ** _LittleMissEmblem_ : Charlotte slapped Leo because she fucking CAN, bitch. XD LMAO but for real, she shouldn't have done that shit. Oh my God, I don't wanna think about a dead Elise 'cause that makes me sad AF. As for the family meeting, I think a part of them hope that Charlotte can still change, or that Siegbert can help them on way or another. Speaking of Siegbert, he wasn't in the Deep Realm for a decade; he was there for much less, but aged faster because that's what happens in the game with all the kids. LOL Leo wins the award for Best Uncle, for real! Glad you liked the last couple chapters!**

 **Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned for chapter 16! :D**

 _\- Elizabeth_


	17. Chapter 16

**Hey, everyone! I'm so sorry to have gone MIA without warning. I was in the final weeks of the semester, so I really needed to focus on papers & exams instead of my fanfic. But with the semester behind me, I have time to update this fanfic before school soon swallows up all my time. So WELCOME BACK! :D Remember: this fanfic will be update every Wednesday or Thursday, depending on what's going on during the week.**

 **One thing I am gonna change from here on in is that I will NOT be responding to reviews anymore in the footnote of chapters, barring any questions. I apologize for this greatly.**

 **I own absolutely nothing.**

 **Anyways, please read & enjoy! :D**

* * *

"KILL HER!"

"OFF WITH HER HEAD!"

"BURN HER!"

Charlotte tumbled out of bed with her heart thumping wildly in an instant. She collected herself and raced to her balcony, only to have to stop short of opening the glass door. On the grounds of Nohr, hundreds of thousands of dirty peasants shouted and hollered the nastiest things one could imagine. The deafening riot almost made the castle walls shake. Panicked, Charlotte ran to her maid for much-need assistance.

"Get my retainers— NOW!"

The maid didn't hesitate to follow her leige's command. It took mere minutes for Peri and Laslow to arrive to Charlotte's bedroom.

"Milady, are you alright?" Laslow asked. "What do you need?"

"Get rid of the crowd, both of you," Charlotte barked. "I don't care how the hell you do it, but Goddamn it, DO IT! They all need to leave immediately. Do I make myself clear?"

"Does that mean we can kill 'em? YAY!" Peri cried.

Laslow looked terrified at his wife's cheering, but he ignored it. "Yes, milady."

"Good. NOW DO IT!"

The two retainers scurried off to face the crowd, collecting soldiers and their fellow retainers for help along the way. The maids left shortly thereafter to prepare for any injured men and women that they had to heal. This meant that Charlotte was alone in her bedroom yet again. She fell onto her unmade bed before curling up into a ball. She hugged her knees as tight as she could.

"How did this happen? Why did this happen? I don't understand…"

 _I do._

Charlotte sat up with a gasp. It had been a long time since she had heard _that_ — that degrading, condescending voice that loved to make her miserable. She thought that she was free of it. Unfortunately for Charlotte, she had no idea how wrong she was.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

 _No. You need to understand that you're a terrible, terrible Queen. How could you let your people suffer so much?_

"I…I didn't mean to make them suffer! I was doing the right thing! Well…I thought I was doing the right thing."

 _LIAR. You've ruined Nohr and its poorer people. They're broke, starving, and angrier than all of Hell. DO you have any idea what you've done?_

"I'm sorry, I promise! I'M SORRY!"

Charlotte fell back onto her bed as sobs finally exited her body. Loud, heaving sobs left her as she tried to grab onto something that resembled normal. She kept her blue eyes shut as tears poured. She felt her face and body flush red with embarrassment and shame. If there was a rock bottom, this was it for Charlotte. It was in this exact moment in time. The worst part was that she knew she would remember that for the rest of her life, long after she left the throne.

* * *

The riot had attracted the attention of the royal siblings early in the morning. They ordered their retainers to help Peri, Laslow, and Nohrian soldiers to restore order. In the meantime, the three sisters met up in a secluded part of the castle to talk about what to do.

"What can _we_ do? Should we help out with the crowd?" Elise asked.

Camilla quickly shook her head. "They'll think we had something to do with the tax raise, and they'll attack us, too. It isn't worth the risk, sweetie. Besides, Kaze, Niles, and all the other retainers know just what to do."

"I was expecting you to want to attack them all for attacking us," Corrin piped up.

"Since neither of you are in immediate danger, there's no reason for me to do so. Besides, I have a better idea; a Parliament hearing to fix the tax raise."

"That's a great idea!" Elise exclaimed. We should probably start getting it ready."

"Good idea, darling," Camilla said. "Corrin, could you be a dear and fetch Charlotte, please?"

Corrin bit the inside of her left cheek. The last thing she wanted was to deal with Charlotte. She was still mad at her for the last stunt she had pulled. Still, she was the only one who could conceivably pull Charlotte together in as chaotic of a situation as this. So she simply nodded and agreed to do just that.

What Corrin hadn't expected was to find a borderline hysterical Charlotte bawling her eyes out on top of her bed while curled up in the fetal position. Corrin recovered from her shock to drag her estranged friend to her feet.

"Wh-what's going on?" Charlotte asked in a tearful daze.

"We're holding an emergency Parliament hearing now. I'll help you get ready because you need to be there as soon as possible."

"But I can't let them see me like this!"

Corrin shrugged. "Too bad, because you're going to fix this mess _today_."

* * *

 **There you go! I hope you all enjoyed it. :)**

 **Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned for chapter 17! :D**

 _\- Elizabeth_


	18. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.**

 **Please read & enjoy! :D**

* * *

It took just minutes for the Parliament hearing to come together. Granted, no one looked all that prepared to hold the hearing right here, right now. Most of the advisors were barely in their proper attire, and the royal sisters were shaken by the growing angry mob outside. Charlotte looked put together judging by her appearance, but her face showed evident fear for what was about to happen in the Parliament hearing. She clutched the arms of her throne with a death grip.

"Lady Charlotte," Iago began, "you know why this emergency Parliament hearing had to be called."

Charlotte nodded. "Yes, I do."

"Milady," another advisor piped up, "with all due respect…this tax law _has_ to go! The people of Nohr are suffering! The peasants are poor and suffering, and that's why they're angry. We need to discard this law once and for all!"

This was what Charlotte didn't want to happen. Her law— the law she had created with her mind focused on its potential benefits for her people— was going to be destroyed. All thanks to those around her that couldn't understand that the law's benefits could possibly begin to show with just some more time. But at this point, Charlotte just wanted her people to not hate her anymore. She wanted their love and adoration so bad that she was willing to get rid of that damn law to fix the mess she alone had created. She swallowed both her pride and her dignity hard before finally speaking up.

"Very well then. The tax law is to be abolished immediately."

"Thank you, Lady Charlotte," Iago said. "I and the rest of the advisors can assure you that this is a step in the right direction for the people of Nohr."

As the motions to abolish the law were put in place, Charlotte wondered if Iago had somehow played a part in all this. After all, he never really seemed to like her. He could've manipulated something or everything that had to do with this law to make the Queen of Nohr look like a fool who didn't care about her people. The scenario seemed rather farfetched, but Charlotte kept thinking it over throughout the rest of the Parliament hearing. She finally made a mental note to speak to Iago later that day, after things had died down considerably. She wanted him to feel at ease before she struck with her accusations of defamation. That way, he most likely wouldn't be able to defend himself best.

* * *

"Wow, what a busy day it's been!" Elise exclaimed. "At least the mob's all gone."

"Good," Corrin sighed. "They were so unruly! I heard none of the retainers or soldiers got hurt, so that's good."

"It is," Camilla said. "Niles joked that it was such a boring ordeal."

Corrin rolled her eyes. "Only _he_ would make such a joke."

"You bet!"

"Ooh, I almost forgot!" Elise cried. "You know how Leo's at the Deep Realm visiting Siegbert?"

"Yes," Camilla replied, "what about it? Is everything alright?"

"Well, I received a letter from him, addressed to us three. Wanna read it?"

"Gods, yes!" Corrin exclaimed.

Camilla nodded expectantly. "Let's do so in your room, sweetie."

The three sisters clambered into the youngest woman's bedroom, where Elise fished the envelope from her nightstand drawer. She showed her sisters that she hadn't even opened it yet before she finally undid its seal. She pulled out a couple pages of off-white paper with jet black cursive decorating it.

The letter said:

 _Sisters,_

 _I wish for you all to know that I have arrived safely inside the Deep Realms. It truly is a beautiful place; nothing like Nohr! The sun shines, the grass is green, and it's so warm. You would all love it here._

 _Of course, I know you three wish to know about your nephew. Siegbert is not as little as he used to be. He's fourteen years old, actually. If you're wondering how that's possible, he told me that in the Deep Realm, time moves faster than it does in our world. Therefore, he's age much faster than even I expected. But rest assure, Siegbert has grown into a kind, gentle young man that even Xander would be proud of. Gods, he looks so much like him at that age…just thinking about it has me all choked up once again. As much as it pains me to admit it, I nearly lost it because of that, as well as the guilt I carry from his living in the Deep Realm,_

 _After speaking with Siegbert, he has explained that while he has been lonely (which we all had suspected), he is not angry with Charlotte, or any of us for his living situation. He understands that we wanted the best for him, but that that didn't work out the way we had hoped. Siegbert doesn't hold a grunge against us, or against his own mother. He is more forgiving than I could ever be, given his lot._

 _I did tell Siegbert about how Charlotte is doing. He is saddened and confused, which I expected. I think he's more upset about his mother being unwell, rather than us not telling him about it for so long. He has asked to see her, and I do want him to come back to Nohr. But us siblings need to decide when we're going to do that. I want Siegbert to leave the Deep Realm as much as you all do. But we need to decide when we'll do so, and when we're going to reintroduce Siegbert to his mother. This is going to be a difficult and emotional situation, and we all need to handle it carefully— for both Siegbert & Charlotte._

 _Please write back as soon as you get this so we can figure out the best course of action. I look forward to hearing from you soon._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Your brother,_

 _Leo_

The three sisters read the letter a couple times in order to process the letter. Each of them were choked up, and not able to think clearly. Now more than ever, they wanted to bring their nephew back to Nohr for good.

"I'll write back to Leo once I've collected myself," Camilla insisted.

"Sure," Corrin replied. "Is there anything Elise and I can do to help?"

"Yes," Camilla said. "I have a room closed off from everyone that I've been saving for Siegbert, should be come to Nohr. I want you two to be the only ones that make sure it's clean and furnished for his arrival. I know I would normally leave such a task to a maid or retainer, but I want this to be kept strictly between the family."

Corrin nodded. "Understood."

"Yay, Siegbert's finally coming home!" Elise squealed. "I can't wait!"

"I'm excited, too," Camilla confessed. "But you both need to promise me that you'll keep this a secret from Charlotte, our own families, and everyone else. Promise?"

"Promise."

"Promise!"

* * *

It wasn't until the dead of evening that Charlotte decided to confront Iago. She found her way to her room and knocked with a nervous edge. She half expected him to ignore her or to not hear her, so she was quite surprised to see that he did, indeed, open the door.

"Lady Charlotte, what are you doing here?" Iago asked. "It's late. I don't want to be rude, but shouldn't you be asleep right now?"

"I need to speak to you now," Charlotte replied. "I can't wait any longer."

Iago nodded before ushering the Queen of Nohr inside. Charlotte stood around for a moment, unsure of what exactly to say.

"What's wrong, milady?" Iago questioned.

"Iago, I must know…did you try to make me look bad by convincing our people to stand against me over my law?" Charlotte countered.

"Why the hell would you ever ask that? Of course not!"

"But you hate me. You've _never_ liked me. I know for a fact that you've never liked me because I used to be a peasant!"

"That's preposterous. Being a peasant has nothing to do with why I don't like you, milady. It has to do with my long-standing belief that I never thought you'd make a good queen."

Charlotte narrowed her eyes. "I beg your pardon?"

"My apologies, milady, but I'm afraid I must be frank; I always had a feeling that you couldn't handle being Queen," Iago admitted. "I felt this way even before Lord Xander died."

"How _dare_ you?!"

Iago hesitated, but decided to speak his mind, even if it meant being punished for it afterwards.

"Milady, you're simply unable to rule Nohr as a competent Queen. After that foolish law, I've come to believe that you need to abdicate the throne. I don't care which royal sibling ends up ruling; someone else _needs_ to replace you! This may cost me a lot, but…you need to be removed from power, and I will do whatever's possible to make it happen. Mark my words."

Satisfied with getting all of that off his chest, Iago walked away. He fully expected Charlotte to leave, but he had a sneaking suspicison that she would soon have another meltdown. While he really didn't want to deal with that, he didn't mind too much because he wanted to tell her his true feelings.

Too bad he had no idea as to what was about to happen.

Enraged, Charlotte felt the urge to destroy the man she had once referred to as her most trusted advisor. Her hands balled into fists, but they soon relaxed when her eyes fixated on an inanimate object— a gold-coloured candlestick.

The next movements seemed to happen in slow motion.

Charlotte grabbed the candlestick, and whacked Iago from behind. The back of his head seemed to be bleeding as he fell towards a large shelf. His temple managed to slam into a hard corner of the shelf, causing another head wound. He landed near the shelf, motionless.

Charlotte crept over with the now bloody candlestick clutched in her hand to nudge Iago a few times with her foot. She only had to do so for a minute or two before she realized that he wasn't going to recover.

Iago was now dead, and it was all Charlotte's fault.

* * *

 **There you go! I hope you all enjoyed it. :)**

 **Review Responses:**

 ** _THE CREATOR_ : I never said reviews aren't allowed; I just won't respond to them because I feel like I'm repeating myself. I feel bad because of it. Sorry, I should've given a reason last week, but I was in such a rush to upload that chapter that I simply forgot to write that.**

 **Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned for chapter 18! :D**

 _\- Elizabeth_


	19. Chapter 18

**Hey, you guys! So, I have a minor announcement to make: starting NEXT WEEK, all remaining chapters of _His KING Always_ will be uploaded on _THURSDAY_. This change will work out better with my new semester schedule. So please keep that in mind for next week, and all remaining updates to come!**

 **Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.**

 **Please read & enjoy! :D**

* * *

Charlotte stared at the bloody mess at her feet. She'd tried a couple more times to wake Iago, but her efforts had been in vain; he was dead. Whether it was from her attack or from hitting his head on the wooden shelf, she honestly couldn't tell. But she also didn't care. She was too worried about wondering how to get herself out something she'd brought on herself.

 _It wasn't me, it wasn't me, it wasn't me…_

Charlotte tried to convince herself that she hadn't done it, but it quickly felt stupid. Even if the blow she had delivered hadn't killed him, she had still contributed to his untimely death. No amount of denial could cause her to ignore the ugly truth. So she came up with a different plan.

She positioned Iago's body facing up, and pushed the shelf on top of him. She angled it just so, as if it had crushed him suddenly. She then grabbed the bloodied candlestick— the murder weapon— and tip toed to her room with it.

With her maids away in their respective rooms, there was no one to interrupt Charlotte as she hid the candlestick underneath her bed. She made a mental note to find time the next morning to throw it out. Right now, she needed to let everyone else know that Iago was dead. Beforehand, she prepared herself for what she was about to say.

 _I went to talk to Iago about today's Parliament hearing. I knocked and knocked, but he never answered. I then noticed the door was unlocked, so I decided to go in. And then…I found him, lying on the floor. I don't know what happened!_

A few tears brimmed Charlotte's eyes as guilt consumed her. She didn't want to do this, but she felt like she didn't have any other options. She couldn't admit to killing Iago; she would lose the throne! She needed to keep her power as Queen, now more than ever. She took a deep sigh before racing to Corrin's room.

"Corrin!"

Corrin was quick to answer Charlotte's shouting. "What's wrong?"

"Iago's dead!"

"WHAT?"

"I went to talk to Iago about today's Parliament hearing. I knocked and knocked, but he never answered. I then noticed the door was unlocked, so I decided to go in. And then…I found him, lying on the floor. I don't know what happened!"

Charlotte allowed her need to sob to consume her, causing her to collapse to the ground. Corrin carefully picked her up before they hobbled to Camilla's room. Once Charlotte informed her ex-sister in-law what had happened, the royal siblings left Charlotte alone so they could investigate. They quickly saw that Charlotte had been telling the truth.

"Poor Iago," Corrin said as tears brimmed her eyes.

"I'm shocked," Camilla chimed in. "But…something's not adding up."

"How do you mean?"

"Well…Iago never really liked Charlotte, and Charlotte knew it. Perhaps she finally got fed up and killed him."

"Camilla, please. I know they never liked each other, but did you not see how upset Charlotte was? When she told me he died, she collapsed into a fit of sobbing. I know she cries a lot, but come on; why wouldn't _this_ not make her cry?"

"A fair point indeed. But I think we need to talk to Charlotte again tomorrow. Let's have her stew over this tonight before one of us talk to her about this in the morning. Do you want to have a chat with her?"

Corrin nodded. "I suppose so."

"Thanks, darling," Camilla said sweetly. "I appreciate it dearly."

* * *

The next morning, Laslow and Peri had some time to spar alone. They had heard from their friends that Iago had died last night in a freak accident of sorts.

"I heard he was found with a bookshelf on top of him," Laslow explained. "Seems as though it fell and hit him on the head, killing him."

"That sounds fake," Peri said.

"What do you mean?"

"I think someone killed him, and then made it look like an accident! That's what I would have done!"

Laslow couldn't help but shudder. "Well…there is that possibility, but I doubt it. Who would kill Iago?"

"I don't know," Peri replied with a shrug. "I know I wouldn't have done it. But…maybe…no, never mind."

"Hmm? What is it, my love?"

Peri hesitated before leaning closer to her husband. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Anything for you, my dear."

"I think Charlotte did it!"

"What? Why do you think so?"

"She didn't like Iago, and I don't think Iago liked her. I bet she killed him last night so he wouldn't be a pest anymore."

Laslow mused this. "There's a slight chance of that, I must admit. But we mustn't allow gossip to get the best of us. Until we find out what actually happened to Iago, we have to keep those thoughts to ourselves."

"That's fine," Peri said. She concluded her words with a peck on the lips. "Ready to spar?"

Laslow smirked. "Ready as I'll ever be."

* * *

 **There you go! I hope you all enjoyed it. :)**

 **Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned for chapter 19! :D**

 _\- Elizabeth_


	20. Chapter 19

**Hey, you guy! So, I managed to update this fanfic a day earlier than expected, thanks to my classes ending earlier than I initially expected, I'm rather glad because writing this chapter was a hell of a lot of fun, so I really want you all to read this ASAP! Let's just get into it, then!**

 **Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.**

 **Anyways, please read & enjoy! :D**

* * *

The next few days passed with little action. Charlotte divided her time between hiding out in her bedroom, and hiding out on her throne. She became a sullen and quiet Queen— a stark contrast from her normal erratic, rage-filled behaviour that those living in the castle had grown accustomed to. Whispers were traded between individuals of different statuses as to how and why this personality change had occurred. No one dared to complained about it, but everyone seemed to be scratching their heads about the current situation.

The royal sisters weren't spared from this confusion…for the most part. They each agreed that it more than likely had something to do with Iago's strange death. They all disagreed with whether it was accidental or murder, but they could all come to the consensus that Charlotte definitely had something to do with it. It disturbed them greatly, and they desperately wished to learn the truth, if just to gain some sort of closure.

But today, the sisters couldn't question Charlotte about Iago's death. They were too busy preparing for Siegbert's homecoming.

Not long after Iago was found dead, Leo had sent a letter to his sisters to inform them of the great news. They were all anxious but excited to finally be reunited with their nephew. They wanted to see how grown up he was, and to get to know him for the first time in years. However, each sister silently prepared for how similar he would look to their late older brother in his respective younger years. Despite that, the sisters were more excited than nervous to see Siegbert.

"Is Charlotte gonna see Siegbert today?" Elise asked as she and her sisters prepared their nephew's room.

"I'm not sure yet," Camilla confessed. "I would like him to reunite with his mother, but I'm nervous about her reaction. What if she reacts poorly?"

Corrin quirked an eyebrow. "I understand your concern, but we all know that Siegbert will want to see his mother more than anyone else. If he wants to see her as badly as I think he does, we should just let him."

"Makes sense," Camilla said.

"But I do think we should stay close to Siegbert when they _do_ meet, just in case Charlotte suddenly loses it," Corrin added.

"Good idea!" Elise exclaimed.

Camilla nodded in agreement. "I like that idea very much. Thanks, Corrin."

The sisters finished preparing Siegbert's room before they dashed outside to meet him & Leo outside. They only had to wait for a few minutes before they saw Leo's horse trot to a nearby stable. Two blonde-haired gentlemen reappeared, and began walking to the castle doors.

Siegbert couldn't believe it— his three aunts were there, awaiting his arrival. Had he really been missed that much? The thought of that warmed his heart and made him smile.

"Aunt Camilla? Aunt Elise? Aunt Corrin?"

Each aunt nodded at the sound of their name coming from his mouth. It was hard for them to keep their emotions in check just from looking at Siegbert. They hadn't anticipated just _how_ alike he would be to his father at roughly the same age. Newfound love mixed with old shards of grief thought to have been long gone. It was more than bittersweet for the sisters, but they welcome their nephew with open arms and loving kisses. They wanted him to know that his absence had not gone unnoticed throughout the years.

"Gods, I…I don't know what to say," a bashful Siegbert admitted. His cheeks reddened at all the sudden love and attention.

"You don't have to say a thing, darling," Camilla cooed. "Let's make you right at home! We already have a room ready for you."

Siegbert perked up in an instant. "Really?! Thanks, Aunt Camilla!"

"My pleasure, dear."

As she and Elise led Siegbert to his room, Corrin decided to trail behind with Leo.

"I'm glad you went to the Deep Realm," she revealed.

"As am I," Leo replied. "I enjoyed my stay immensely. Though if I may be blunt, I did miss everyone here in Nohr. I couldn't stop worrying over you, however ridiculous that may seem."

"It's not ridiculous, Leo. I appreciate your concern, and I know Elise and Camilla would, too."

"Thank you, Corrin. You have my gratitude!"

The pair finally caught up to their sisters, who were too busy showing Siegbert his room. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was more than large enough for his needs. His king-sized bed was fitted with black sheets and a black comforter with deep purple trim. The dark wooden bed frame matches the tall dresser and its shorter night stand perfectly. A decent-sized rug in the same shade of purple as the comforter was placed in the middle of the room, seemingly as an afterthought. A couple bouquets of purple and blue roses adorned the dresser, its faint scent wafting in the room with the gentlest touch.

"Wow…thank you," Siegbert said with awe.

"You're welcome!" Elise replied. "I'm sorry if it's not your style, though. We weren't sure about your favourite colours."

"It's no problem. I happen to like black and purple. Thank you, Aunt Elise…and Aunt Camilla and Aunt Corrin. Oh, and Uncle Leo for bringing me back to Nohr in the first place. I can't begin to explain just how wonderful it feels to be back home."

Leo smiled. "You're welcome. I'm happy that you're happy to be back, and I'm sure my sisters will agree. But now…I have a more serious question."

Siegbert immediately grew concerned. "What is it, Uncle?"

"Your mother has no clue that we've brought you here. Hell, _our_ families and retainers don't even know you're back," Leo explained. "Our question is…would you like to see your mother now?"

"Absolutely," Siegbert said without a shred of hesitation.

Corrin suddenly grew nervous, something that Leo picked up within a second.

"Is something the matter, Sister?"

"Well…" She paused to glance at her sisters. "Should we tell them about what's happened?"

"I shall," Camilla piped up. "Siegbert, your mother passed a…controversial law, if you will… to create tax raises on the poor to benefit the rich. Just recently, there was a mob outside that was so angry and violent that we had to hold an emergency Parliament hearing to make that law null and void."

Siegbert's eyes went wide, but he didn't say a word in response.

"Is everyone okay?" Leo asked.

Camilla nodded. "No one was hurt or killed, thank the Gods. But a couple days ago, something worse happened… Iago died."

"WHAT?"

"Iago?! I remember him!" Siegbert exclaimed. "What happened?!"

"We're not too sure what happened, to be honest. Charlotte found him dead in his room…it looks like a freak accident. But there are a couple rumours that she murdered him."

"No, that can't be!"

"Shh, I didn't mean to upset you, darling," Camilla muttered as she pulled her nephew in for a hug. "I don't want your head to be filled with gossip and lies. You certainly don't need that. But I felt like you needed to know what's happened recently. I hope you understand."

Siegbert nodded, though it was clear that the news had him shaken.

"If all that has changed your mind, it's okay," Leo said. "No one will be upset about it."

"No," Siegbert affirmed, "I need to see Mother at once. I won't ask her about Iago…I just really, really want to see her."

"We understand," Corrin said. "We're going to be close by when you two meet, just in case something happens."

"You mean in case Mother becomes violent."

Corrin sighed sadly. "That's correct."

"Very well then," Siegbert said. "I understand."

* * *

Siegbert and the royal siblings arrived in the Throne Room to see Charlotte sitting in a dazed state. It seemed as if she was so far into daydreaming that she couldn't or wouldn't get out of there, no matter how hard anyone tried. But she quickly snapped out when a voice that reached the back of her head hit her in real time.

"Mother?"

Charlotte snapped out of it to see a young blonde-haired teenager standing before her. He was dressed extremely well, in a similar outfit that Xander would have worn. Come to think of it, his hair was as blonde as Xander's, his eyes were the same colour as Xander's…even his voice sounded like Xander's. But it definitely wasn't Xander. Before she could ask for the young man's identity, something clicked.

"Siegbert?"

He nodded with a grin. "Yes, Mother, it's me. Forgive me for my advanced age, but in the Deep Realms, time passes differently. As a result, I aged faster than those in this world."

Charlotte absorbed his words. A part of her believed that the royal siblings were playing a nasty trick on her for no good reason. But she grew to believe more and more that the young gentleman in front of her really was her son. She could feel the love she had for him resurfacing after all this time. Yet something held her back.

"I can't believe it's you! I mean, I do believe it's you, but…I never thought I'd see you again! Gods, I can't believe you've been in the Deep Realm for as long as you were! Granted, it was so I could focus on being Queen…but I swear, I did intend to bring you back to Nohr! Gods, I'm so sorry, Siegbert! I'm so sorry…"

Charlotte continued to ramble, but Siegbert needed to tune it out, if only for a moment. He came to the same conclusion that his aunts and uncle held— that Charlotte was mentally ill. She was definitely not the same mother he had remembered from when he was a little boy. Something had caused her to change for the worse.

"Siegbert, I love you, sweetie!"

At that, Siegbert came back to the situation with a grateful smile. "And I love you, Mother. I'm so happy that we're reunited."

He approached her to give her a hug, but Charlotte's face suddenly contorted into an ugly sneer. "Don't lie to me."

"I beg your pardon?"

"DON'T LIE TO ME!"

Siegbert flinched. "I don't understand…when did I lie, Mother?"

Rather than answering her son's question, Charlotte responded with a sudden and firm slap across the face. Siegbert fell backwards, but Camilla caught him before he landed on the floor. She shot Charlotte a death stare as she ushered her nephew towards Elise and Corrin. They in turn escorted the teen out of the Throne Room for his protection.

"You're worse than I thought… _murderer_."

Camilla whispered the last word in a voice so soft that only Charlotte and her actually heard it. The Queen didn't even bristle as Camilla stormed off to catch up to her nephew.

I was Leo who put it best before he also left the room.

"You don't even know what you've just done to yourself, _and_ to Nohr."

* * *

 **There you go! I hope you all enjoyed it. :)**

 **Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned for chapter 20! :D**

 _\- Elizabeth_


	21. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.**

 **Please read & enjoy! :D**

* * *

The next few days went by without incident, but that didn't mean that stuff hadn't happened during that time. First, Siegbert had managed to settle into his new home well. Despite his mother's unruly behaviour, he felt more at home in Nohr than he ever did back in the Deep Realm. He was still hurt that Charlotte wanted nothing to do with him, but he lucky to have his aunts and uncle care for him. His aunts also doted on him endlessly, with Camilla being the worst offender. Still, the attention was quite welcoming.

The other thing to happen was that Nohr's chief medical expert had examined Iago's body. Charlotte wanted to fight off the individual, but she knew better than to do so. She knew well enough that if she went against the autopsy, she would've come off as someone who had something to hide. Worse, she could've been seen as the person responsible for Iago's death. Luckily for her, the chief medical expert held the opinion that Iago's death had been nothing more than an accident. Many didn't buy it, but they knew that contesting the finding was a pointless endeavour.

When the chief medical expert's findings were revealed, Corrin was more unsure than most anyone else in the castle. She wanted to believe it, but a large part of her felt that it was simply wrong. She decided on a whim to talk to Charlotte about it once and for all in order to figure out the truth. She found her estranged friend alone in her bedroom, still wearing her nightie despite it being early afternoon. She hair was also quite messy, and she didn't have on any makeup. Corrin could easily see light dark circles and tired eyes on Charlotte's fair skin.

"Charlotte?"

The Queen of Nohr— who had been busy watching the sky outside her bedroom window— snapped out of it to give Corrin the time of day. She didn't speak, choosing instead to nod at Corrin to come closer. She did just that, taking a seat on Charlotte's bed.

"Is everything alright?" Charlotte asked.

"Well…not really," Corrin admitted. "Something's been bothering me for the last little while. I want to come to you about it, but…it's an upsetting mater, and I don't wish to upset you. But it's been bothering me a lot."

Charlotte blew it off. "Oh, please. I want you to come to me about anything, darling! Please, tell me what's on your mind?"

"Well…it's about Iago."

"What about Iago? I heard what the chief medical expert said."

"As did I. But…a lot of people are saying different things that contradict his findings."

"What?! What are people saying?" Charlotte asked.

Corrin hesitated. She looked at the floor and fidgeted.

"Corrin, please tell me."

"They're saying you killed him in a fit of rage," Corrin revealed.

For a few moments, no one spoke. Charlotte seemed to absorb her friend's words carefully before she finally said something.

"Interesting…but it doesn't surprise me."

The lack of emotion in Charlotte's voice forced Corrin to look for it in the Queen's face and body. But there was none of it found. Charlotte seemed calm and collected, but it almost seemed forced. All of it had Corrin concerned, but also confused.

"Can I ask you an uncomfortable question?" she asked.

"Sure," Charlotte replied.

"Did you kill Iago? Or at the very least, did you have anything to do with his death?"

Again, no one spoke for several moments. Charlotte looked around the room, as if she was searching for an appropriate response somewhere in her bedroom. She soon stopped with her eyes down at the floor.

"No."

Corrin was more than tempted to poke holes in her friend's shaky response to such an important question. She wanted to tell Charlotte that she knew she was lying, that she was definitely hiding something, and that there was something she wasn't talking about. But Corrin stopped herself before any questions flew out of her mouth. She had a sickening feeling that if she began asking too many questions, Charlotte would suddenly fly into a rage and attack her. So Corrin decided to just accept the answer— or at least, act like she accepted that answer.

"I believe you," Corrin said with all the honesty and believability that she could muster. She also grinned and nodded to come off as genuine.

"I know you do," Charlotte replied happily. "Thanks for chatting with me, Corrin. I hope you feel a lot better!"

With that, Corrin didn't waste any more time in Charlotte's room. The two exchanged their goodbyes before Corrin high tailed it out for her own room. She needed some time to herself before she carried on with her day after that chilling exchange. It had confirmed that Charlotte had killed Iago, and had gotten away with it. The idea of her once great friend having killed her most trusted advisor made Corrin fearful for not just her life, and the lives of everyone she loved.

* * *

Later that day, the royal siblings hunkered down in Siegbert's bedroom to discuss everything with their nephew. Corrin chose to keep her recent conversation with his mother a secret, simply because it wasn't what the meeting was about. The meeting was far more serious than talking about Iago's suspicious death.

"I know this is going to be overwhelming for you, Siegbert, but this is important," Leo explained. "It's not just important for us as a family, but also for the people of Nohr. I'm sure you understand."

Siegbert nodded. "I do, Uncle. Although I must admit, I am rather nervous about this."

"We understand, dear," Camilla said. "Well, there's no easy way to say this, but…we need you to become King."

"WHAT?!"

The royal siblings winced at their nephew's exclamation, but none of them were surprised by it. They knew damn well that what they were asking from Siegbert was far more than what he could probably handle. He was so young and inexperienced with life, but Nohr desperately needed a new King.

"I understand why you're asking this of me," Siegbert explained, "and I can't help but admit that I'm flattered by it. But I'm not sure I'm ready to be King. As pathetic as it sounds…I don't know if I'll ever be ready to become King."

Embarrassed and ashamed by this revelation, he hung his head and focused his attention to the floor. It wasn't until Elise wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulders that he finally looked back at his relatives. He had expected to see them look back at him with disappointment, but they looked concerned instead.

"Siegbert, I'm sorry that we're doing this to you, especially after everything you've been through," Leo said. "But you need to agree to become King. Nohr needs someone that can help our people prosper again. We're not asking you to do this to help us— we're asking you to do this to help our people. They will continue to suffer if nothing is done. So Siegbert, will you please accept becoming the new King of Nohr?"

It was more than Siegbert wished to take in. It was also times like this that he wished that he hadn't been born into such a powerful family, thrusted into a position full of power. He wanted to be normal, but he knew he needed to accept that that was never going to be the case. It was fate that he was to become the King of Nohr; it was just going to happen sooner than later. He finally swallowed hard with a firm nod.

"I accept."

* * *

 **There you go! I hope you all enjoyed it. :)**

 **Review Responses:**

 ** _THE CREATOR_ : Well, the point of leaving a review is to provide praise and/or feedback. Sorry if that comes off as harsh because I'm not trying to do so, but I don't know how else to explain it.**

 **Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned chapter 21!**

 _\- Elizabeth_


	22. Chapter 21

**HEY, EVERYONE! It's been way too long since I've uploaded a new chapter. If you want a full explanation as to what the hell happened to me, please check out my newest profile update, as it's just too long to fit here. If you want the TL;DR version, it's that school and work took up my time, and I lost my love of writing fanfics. But I'm back, and dare I say that I feel better than before. I missed you guys so much, and I hope you'll all continue to read this fanfic, especially since there's only a few chapters left!**

 **I own absolutely nothing.**

 **Anyways, please read & enjoy! :D**

* * *

Once Siegbert had accepted becoming the new King of Nohr, his uncle and aunts didn't waste any time letting Charlotte's advisors know what was about to take place. They were all excited and nervous for various reasons, though a few were initially scared over the idea that Charlotte's son would be the one taking her place on the throne. All of the advisors hadn't met him, so they didn't know what he was like as a person. As a result, many were convinced that he was going to be just another Charlotte.

It was Camilla who later introduced the advisors to Siegbert. He was a little apprehensive to meet these old, intelligent gentlemen, but he remembered to keep his chin up and a warm smile on his face. They seemed to take a liking to him and the stark difference in personality between him and his own mother.

"I assure you that with help, Siegbert will become a wonderful King," Camilla said with pride.

"Oh, I agree, milady," one advisor piped up. "I would be happy to advise milord so he can help our country and our people prosper again."

The rest of the advisors chimed in with similar thoughts. Siegbert nodded and smiled so much that his neck ached and his cheeks hurt. He didn't let his discomfort shine through; he just carried on meeting everyone, even as Camilla excused herself. She quickly caught up with her siblings, who were busy speaking with some Nohrian guards. They left so that the siblings could speak alone.

"How's Siegbert?" Elise asked anxiously.

"I think he'll be okay," Camilla answered. "He looks nervous, but I know he'll never admit it. Still, he's taking it all in stride. I'm already quite proud of him. The advisors seem to like him, too."

"That's good," Corrin said.

"I'm still nervous for him," Leo chimed in, "but I also think he'll be okay."

Camilla nodded. "So, do the guards know what's about to happen?"

"Yes," Corrin replied.

"I already let the advisors know of our plans ahead of time," Leo piped up. "They'll keep Siegbert with us for his own protection. A couple guards will be here in case Charlotte finds and attacks him, but I highly doubt it'll go so far. But I figured that it was better to give them protection anyways."

"That's a wise decision," Camilla said. "Good call, Brother."

"Is everyone still planning on going through with this?" Elise asked.

"I am," Camilla said.

"As am I," Leo added.

"And as am I," Corrin confirmed. "Please don't say that you're having second thoughts."

Elise shook her head. "No, I was just making sure that no one else was having second thoughts. We need to do this…even though it kinda hurts to do it. Sorry, but…I can't help but feel bad, even a little bit."

"I understand what you mean," Camilla replied. "I think none of us want to do this. I don't want to hurt Charlotte, but we need to do this. Our people will only continue to suffer if Charlotte continues to be Queen. This is the only thing we can do is to stop before things only get worse."

"A vote of no confidence it is, then," Leo remarked.

The guards arrived just then with various weapons in hand. It may have seemed a bit excessive against just one woman, but the Nohrian siblings had insisted that they be prepared for the absolute worst. Given how unpredictable and mad Charlotte had become, both the siblings and the soldiers didn't want to take any more chances.

"Milord, are you ready now?" the head solider asked.

Leo nodded firmly. "It's time."

As the soldiers lead the way, the siblings trailed behind from a short distance. They were also armed with various weapons; Camilla with an axe, Corrin with a sword, and Elise and Leo with tomes. They all had to be fully prepared to ambush Charlotte. Even though it was something that none of the siblings were excited to do, they all understood the gravity of what would happen if they had chosen to not ambush Charlotte. They couldn't stand back and allow her to continue ruling over Nohr with the lack of care and sanity that she possessed.

The soldiers and siblings were so busy hustling to the Throne Room that they bypassed Peri and Laslow without noticing that they were even there. They had been standing in another room nearby, cleaning weapons. Given that they'd unintentionally heard snippets of the royal siblings' plan, they knew just what was about to go down. Yet no one had informed them beforehand of what was about to happen; they never even received a warning. This left them baffled by what was going on, and their lack of involvement in it all.

"I wonder why no one told us what's going on?" Peri asked.

Laslow bit his lip with concern. "Perhaps they believe that we'll fight back to protect the Queen."

"Oh. Yeah, that makes sense. We should probably go protect her."

"What?! I'm not going!"

Peri's visible eye went wide. "HUH?!"

"Shh! Don't say it so loud!"

"Oh, sorry. But…why aren't you gonna go?"

Laslow's body stiffened. "I refuse to protect a woman who abused my wife, and even endangered our daughter. I can't do it, Peri. You and Soleil mean so much more to me than putting up with Charlotte's abuse any longer. It goes against every fibre of my being, but…you and Soleil are who I'd rather protect."

"…You didn't call her Lady Charlotte just now," Peri pointed out.

"I can't. She doesn't deserve that title any longer. I wouldn't be so honest if I was speaking to anyone else, but I'm more than willing to say anything to you. I hope you understand where I'm coming from, my love. I can't serve Charlotte anymore."

"Yeah, I get it. It's just hard for me to go against her 'cause...it's instinct to me, you know? I can't help but feel like we should help her! But…I agree. I'm not getting involved with what's going to happen. Maybe we should hide out in our room until the excitement dies down."

The idea made Laslow smile. "That's actually a great idea, darling. Any chance to spend time with you and Soleil is one that I simply can't pass up on."

The couple shared a tender kiss before hustling into the safety of their bedroom. They both shared a small amount of guilt for abandoning their liege, but neither felt all that bad about it. They weren't going to waste any more time serving one as abusive and horrid as Lady Charlotte, Queen of Nohr.

* * *

 **I hope you all enjoyed the newest chapter of this fanfic...even though I left a bit of a cliffhanger (;**

 **Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned for chapter 22! :D**

 _\- Elizabeth_


	23. Chapter 22

**Hey there, everyone! I quickly want to say thank you so much for all the love I got from my last update of this fanfic. Like I said then, I'm so happy to be back! I'm really pushing myself to get this fanfic done this month, especially because there's only 3 chapters left now! I can't believe it either! Enough rambling, though, let's get into it!**

 **I own absolutely nothing.**

 **Anyways, please read & enjoy!**

* * *

Charlotte stood in the throne room all alone, away from her advisors, servants, and retainers. She wasn't really thinking about anything; her eyes simply wandered about the massive, lavish room. The large black and purple throne itself sat unoccupied with beautiful gold trim adorning the surrounding area. It was stunning to most, but it made Charlotte's stomach turn when she looked at it anymore. Even thinking about the past few days' events had resulted in the same reaction. She kept having nightmares of staring at Iago's bloodied corpse after she'd—

 _No,_ Charlotte abruptly thought, _I didn't kill him. I didn't kill him. I didn't kill him. I DID NOT KILL HIM! I didn't…_

Her mind drifted back to the moment when she'd been reunited with her son after he was gone for so long. How had he managed to grow up so fast? It might have been because of the Deep Realm, but that didn't make sense. Siegbert should've still been a little kid; not a teenager! That, coupled with the surprise that came with just seeing him back in Nohr had caused her to react as violently as she had. Now she was regretting it, but she tried to not worry too much about it. All she needed to do was apologize for her actions and explain herself so that they could rekindle their loving relationship. Siegbert was her only reminder that Xander had touched her life in such a positive way.

 _Xander…_

Tears pricked Charlotte's eyes without warning. She hadn't thought of her dead husband in so long that she'd almost forgotten of his existence. Granted, that hadn't been intentional; her mind was so fragmented anymore that she was lucky to remember what she'd said or done only yesterday. How could she remember a memory from long ago when she couldn't even remember more recent events?

She used her hands to pluck the crown off her head before studying it. She suddenly remembered that Xander had placed it atop her head when she had become Queen of Nohr. She also recalled how nervous she'd been about that day, constantly worrying and wondering if she would be a good queen. But Xander had smiled and kissed her cheek.

"You'll do great, love," he had assured with confidence.

 _Was he wrong about that? I don't know_ , Charlotte thought.

She was still deep in her thoughts about the past when the doors to the throne room flew open with a loud bang. Armed soldiers flooded in straight for her, causing Charlotte to freeze in place. She only moved to put her crown back on her head. She said nothing as one solider positioned himself directly behind her and grabbed her wrists. That however changed when her ex-in-laws appeared a minute later, also armed to the teeth.

"What's going on?!" she exclaimed.

"Charlotte," Leo said, "before I explain what we're about to do, I need to explain a clause that comes with being Queen of Nohr. You may or may not remember it when all was explained the day of your coronation, but I'll refresh it because it's extremely important for what we're about to do."

Now Charlotte wasn't sure what the hell was going on. She cocked her head a little to the left and bit her lower lip.

"See, there's a clause that clearly states that, in order to remove the King and/or Queen of Nohr from power by force, all those in the royal court must give a vote of no confidence. This can only happen if it's proven that the King or Queen has knowingly committed treason against their people."

"WHAT?! You wouldn't….no…" Charlotte opened her mouth again to speak, but nothing came out. She resorted to looking down at the floor to avoid looking at Leo or his siblings.

"To prove that this clause exists and is not just something I pulled out of thin air…here."

Elise passed Leo a large tattered script of paper, which he then opened to the appropriate page. He showed Charlotte, who decided to read it out of curiosity. Sure enough, the clause he had spoken of was right there in writing. He hadn't made it up on the spot.

"Because of this," Leo continued as he rolled up the script, "I, my siblings, and all advisors have given you a vote of non-confidence because of the treason you've committed. You will no longer hold power by tomorrow afternoon, after I and others sign some final documents. Siegbert will then become King of Nohr, and your retainers, Laslow and Peri, will now serve him. Do you understand?"

Charlotte glanced up, expecting smiling and relieved faces of her removal from power. Instead, she saw that the royal siblings looked exhausted and devastated by what they were doing. She saw her estranged best friend, Corrin, and noticed the tears filled in her eyes. Even with a sword in hand, Corrin looked torn up to have to go against someone she'd once been so close to. The hand that didn't have a sword in it was shaking, telling Charlotte that her friend was barely hiding her emotions.

"I understand," Charlotte finally replied.

"Good," Leo said. "I'm glad that we didn't have to resort to violence. Guards, could you please escort Charlotte to her cell?"

"Yes, milord," two guards replied.

One guard removed her crown and passed it on to Camilla for safekeeping. Two others then proceeded to escort Charlotte out of the throne room. She didn't fight them for what they were doing, but she did break down and sob as she was led away. The remaining guards left the throne room a moment later, leaving the siblings alone to process what had all just transpired.

"What's going to happen now?" Elise asked.

"Charlotte will be held there for a few days, and then she'll be tried for treason," Leo revealed.

"Treason?! But…that means she'll be executed!" Corrin cried. She had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep herself from crying.

Leo nodded with a heavy sigh. "I know, and I wish it wasn't so. But Charlotte committed high treason against our people. They deserve proper justice for all the hell she put them through. If that means executing her after being convicted of high treason…then I guess we have to accept that."

* * *

 **There you go! I hope you all enjoyed it. (:**

 **Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned for chapter 23! :D**

 _\- Elizabeth_


	24. Chapter 23

**Hey, guys! I need to let you know of a quick update: this fanfic will be concluded by the next chapter. I had to rework my outline and plot points to make things work, resulting in this chapter and the next being longer than before. I hope you guys are okay with this change.**

 **I own absolutely nothing.**

 **Anyways, please read & enjoy! :D**

* * *

Two weeks later, Charlotte was escorted by guards to the highest court in all of Nohr. She didn't fight or resist the guards; as scared as she was by the current situation, she knew better than to put up any sort of struggle. It would only prolong the inevitable that was to come. Charlotte's face remained neutral as she entered the large courtroom. Everyone looked directly at her, making her more of a silent mess. It took everything for Charlotte to not lose it while she was seated by the guards. She looked behind her, only to be forced to look ahead by a guard. Despite that, she had managed to catch a quick glance of her ex-in-laws sitting far from her. She hadn't been able to see their faces, nor find out if Siegbert was there, too.

 _Gods, I hope he's not here,_ Charlotte thought. _He doesn't need to see this._

She suddenly rose along with the crowd when the judge entered the courtroom. He sat down and shifted through some legal papers for a moment.

"Please be seated."

Everyone sat down, including Charlotte. She took a deep breath in a feeble attempt to calm her shaky nerves.

"Charlotte, please rise," the judge ordered.

She rose with slight hesitation, and then cleared her throat.

"You stand here today before the court, charged with high treason against the country of Nohr," the judge said. "How do you plead to the charge?"

Charlotte opened her mouth to speak, but didn't speak at first. She cleared her throat again and finally responded.

"Guilty."

There were loud gasps among those watching in the courtroom. Even the judge looked surprised by her response. But Charlotte knew better. A trial would be a waste of tax money that could be put towards better use. She also accepted that she had done wrong against her people for far too long. There was no point in a long, pointless trial that would only serve to smear her already ruined name more.

"Well, uh…I didn't expect that, you be honest," the judge said. "Are you sure about your plea, Charlotte?"

"Yes, Your Honour."

"Then I have no choice but to accept your plea," the judge replied. "As for your sentence, you are aware that the punishment for committing high treason is death, yes?"

"I am," Charlotte said.

"And while I am supposed to follow through with that here today…I can't bring myself to do it."

Again, the courtroom gasped. This time however, the judge banged his gavel to bring order back. He waited until the room was silent before speaking again.

"I don't believe that a death sentence is a suitable punishment for all that you've done," he explained. "I cannot bring myself to believe that you truly understand the gravity of your crime, or the gravity of how badly you've hurt the people of Nohr. They were the ones that put the largest amount of trust and loyalty into you to make them proud, and to do good. But you failed them so horribly that they suffered and protested as a result of your actions. For these reasons, I hereby sentence you to spend the rest of your natural life in prison. You shall spend your days locked in a cell, and leave only when you've drawn your last breath."

The judge banged the gavel to conclude his thoughts, and two guards dragged Charlotte to her feet. She wept silently as she was escorted out of the courtroom amidst the jeers and cheers of the crowd. Her eyes remained fixated on the ground, ignoring all the faces she passed.

Once Charlotte was gone, the judge adjourned court for the day. Corrin— who had been watching with her siblings from afar— found herself leaving her seat in slow motion. She left the courtroom, only to suddenly sit again at the first seat she could find. To her surprise, Leo joined her less than a minute later.

"I didn't know that was going to happen," Corrin admitted.

"Nor did I," Leo said. "But honestly, I'm glad that this is over. There's no reason for us to worry about Charlotte hurting anymore people. She's going to rot in prison for the rest of her days."

Corrin nodded, but she didn't seem happy by what had happened.

"What's wrong, Sister?" Leo asked.

"I…Forgive me, Big Brother, but…I can't help but feel bad for Charlotte. She'll never see us or her son again. And I was upset with her the last time I talked to her. I want to make things right between us, if only because we were friends for many years. Is that wrong?"

"No, it's not wrong. I know this whole process has been exhausting for everyone. I have no issue with you wanting to talk things out with Charlotte. However, I can't say that I feel bad for her, too. She needs to be in prison for our sake, and for the sake of our people. The most important thing is to not dishonour Nohr and bring shame onto our people. All Charlotte has done is ruin our country's reputation for no good reason."

Leo paused to sigh. Corrin rubbed his back to comfort him.

"Thanks," he added. "I'm so exhausted from all this, which is why I'm so glad it's over."

"As am I," Corrin said.

* * *

Hours became days. Day became weeks. Weeks became months. For Charlotte, any amount of time that passed anymore felt longer and more painful than life before prison. Instead of spending her time ruling over Nohr and reconnecting with her son, she was sitting on a dirty floor with little to do to pass the time. The only thing she could do freely was think.

 _You're a disgusting, vile person,_ the little voice in her head piped up. _You deserve to be in here._

Instead of conversing with the voice like she had in the past, Charlotte ignored it.

 _You ruined the people of Nohr, assaulted your own son, abused your retainers, abused your friends…you are as vile as vile can be. Die, die, DIE!_

That last thought made Charlotte jump. Death had been a nagging thought for quite some time, though it was mostly associated with Xander and Iago. But she'd never thought about her own death. She was still young and in good health; it would be many years before she passed away.

Unless…

 _No,_ Charlotte thought, _I won't do it._

But as she studied her bleak surroundings, different thoughts entered her mind. Why the hell would she want to live her life out here? Escape was highly unlikely, and release would never happen either. Charlotte had to spend her days in this hellhole.

 _But you don't have to,_ the voice in her head chimed in.

Charlotte looked at her small bed and its white sheets. She then looked at the ceiling before looking down and shutting her eyes.

"Xander…please forgive me for everything. I love you so much."

* * *

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, even with that little cliffhanger. :)**

 **Please review, and don't forget to stay tuned to the last chapter of this fanfic! :D**

 _\- Elizabeth_


	25. Chapter 24

**Hey there, guys! So, here it is: the final chapter of His KING Always! I can't believe it's actually done. I didn't think I'd complete it, especially after my unexpected hiatus. It's been a hell of a ride, and I'm so happy that it's complete. I've created a thank you note at the end of this chapter, in case you're curious. But enough rambling- here's the last chapter!**

 **I own absolutely nothing.**

 **Please read & enjoy! :D**

* * *

It had been six months since Charlotte was put in prison for life. Little had gone on in the castle; it seemed as though people were trying to get back into some sense of normalcy. While Siegbert was technically King of Nohr, he had yet to have his coronation. Leo and his sisters were trying to teach him the laws of the land, his duties as King, and so much more that he needed a lot of time to learn everything before finally assuming the throne. It left Siegbert worrying that he would never shape up to be a good king, but his uncle and aunts insisted that with guidance, he would make a fine king.

"I can't help but fear that I'll always need your help in being a good King," Siegbert said one day.

"You may think that now, but I know that you'll eventually rely on us less and less," Leo had replied. "We asked a lot of you; the least we can do is help you as much as possible."

Siegbert was beginning to grow more confident, but he still had his doubts. Still, he pushed himself to study and learn about the inner workings of the Nohrian monarchy. All he wanted was to make both his family and his people proud. He couldn't even bring himself to think about what would happen if he ended up failing them. His main focus was to learn, learn, learn.

Throughout this time, Corrin had her own issues. Life on the home front was much better, as she had grown less stressed out or worried about Charlotte. But she still hadn't tried to talk things out with her estranged best friend. The idea of doing so crossed her mind every now and then, but it was easy for Corrin to talk herself out of actually doing it. She didn't want to deal with something that could possibly become violent, she had her family to worry about…the list of excuses was long but somewhat justified. It continued to eat at her, especially as months had passed.

Finally, Corrin had had enough. She asked her husband, Silas, to watch the kids while she visited Charlotte in prison. Silas wasn't sure about the idea from the get-go.

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" he asked.

"I'm more than sure," Corrin insisted. "I need to do this, or else I won't be able to stop thinking about it."

With that, the couple kissed and exchanged "I love you" before Corrin left.

Once she reached the prison, she noticed how few guards were around. She had been under the impression that, for a maximum-security prison, it would be armed to the teeth with guards and soldiers. She shook her worries away as she asked the one guard she'd found where Charlotte was.

"She's on the next floor in the smallest cell available," he replied.

Corrin thanked him, and then began walking to the cell in question. It was a little difficult because a lot of cells seemed to be rather small. But when she saw caught a sudden glance of long blonde hair, Corrin almost ran to the cell. She abruptly stopped in her tracks to absorb what was before her. Then she screamed the loudest scream she'd ever let out.

Charlotte was upright in the air with her head slumped forward. Her eyes were shut tight, and her hands were limp. White sheets tied in the shape of a crude noose were the only thing that kept her suspended above the ground of her cell. It was obvious what had transpired.

Having heard a loud scream, two guards raced to Corrin. She was crying and almost hyperventilating as she pointed a shaky finger towards Charlotte's cell. Once they realized what had happened, they entered and dragged Charlotte out of her noose. It only took a couple minutes for them to determine her state.

"She's gone…long gone," one guard said.

"Looks like she's been dead for hours," the other piped up.

Corrin said nothing. She slumped to the floor and cried her heart out. She'd lost her chance to make some sort of amends with her old friend. She regretted not visiting sooner when she could've easily done so.

 _This didn't have to happen_ , Corrin thought. _This didn't have to happen…_

* * *

Within a week, the royal siblings and Siegbert held a small funeral on the outskirts of Nohr. They decided to bury Charlotte in a grave directly beside her late husband with little attention from their country's people. A priest was brought to say a few words, but that was it. They didn't even invite her retainers, as they wanted this to be a quiet family affair.

The rest of Nohr had yet to learn the truth of their fallen Queen. They would learn in a couple days, long before Siegbert's coronation. The royal family just needed a little more time to mourn their loss before they broke the news across the country.

The priest finished talking before departing the bleak cemetery. All of the family were devastated by the sudden loss, but without a doubt, Siegbert took it the hardest out of all of them. He'd already broken down a couple times since he'd received the news, but today was the one day that made him cry the most. He took a small amount of comfort from Elise, who kept smothering with hugs and a shoulder to cry on. While he leaned on everyone, he turned to Elise the most. Today, she kept one arm wrapped around his shoulders when they weren't hugging.

"I'm so sorry, Siegbert," Leo suddenly said. "We had no idea this would happen."

"I believe you," Siegbert replied. "I'm not sure if this is better than if she'd been executed. I think I'd be upset either way."

Camilla kissed his head. "You still have us, dear. You're not alone."

"My wife and I will take you into our care," Leo piped up. "Forrest— my son and your cousin— will now be your brother, too. I promise that Nyx and I will take good care of you, even when you become King."

For the first time in a long time, Siegbert smiled a little. "Really?"

"Really. You've been away from family for too long; we're not going to allow it any longer. If there's anyone in Nohr that deserves a loving family, it's you, Siegbert. But please remember that your parents loved you dearly…even your mother, despite her madness. They loved you so much, and will always watch over you."

"I'm…glad to hear that. Thank you," Siegbert replied as fresh tears brimmed his eyes.

Elise hugged her nephew for the thousandth time. "We love you so much!"

"And I love you all."

* * *

Siegbert's coronation finally took place less than a month after his mother's suicide. To him, it was a long ceremony that was more for show than anything else. But it was necessary in order to be crowned King. As he prepared for the ceremony's beginning that morning, a knot began to form in his stomach. His head felt light and his vision began to grow fuzzy. Before he could surrender to the feeling of helplessness, familiar hands gripped his shoulders tight enough to bring him back to reality.

"L-Leo?! What are you doing here?"

"Just checking in on you. You look a little pale. Are you feeling okay?"

Siegbert swallowed hard as he looked hard in the mirror. "I'm scared to face my people for the first time. I'm sure they know who my parents are, so why would they like me after all that's happened?"

"Please try to not worry," Leo said. His voice was firm, yet still comforting. "They know that you are not like your mother. Focus on inspiring peace and prosperity throughout Nohr. Our people— _your_ people— need that reassurance now more than ever. Your aunts and I will be watching from afar, away from your sight. We know your first address will be great."

That was one of the last things Siegbert remembered about his coronation. The next few hours were a blur of speeches, cheers, and him sitting in a chair watching everything unfold. He knew he should've paid close attention to all that was happening, but it was so overwhelming that doing so was impossible. He just tried to retain as much of the coronation as possible with a smile on his face throughout.

Finally, it was time for Siegbert to address his people. With the crown on his head, he stepped out on the balcony to greet the massive crowd that had gathered on the castle grounds. They quietened down in a few minutes, anxious to hear what their new monarch had to say.

"I'm aware that there are some…unusual circumstances that resulted in me becoming King. I wasn't expecting it, and I'm sure none of you did, too. I recognize that there are many who are worried about what I will do, and what kind of leader I will be. I can't promise to be the best King Nohr has ever had, but I can promise that I will do my absolute best to make you all proud. I promise to take each and every one of your concerns with the utmost importance that it deserves. You, the people of Nohr, deserve respect, honesty, and kindness; and that is what I promise to give you. I shall celebrate the good, work on fixing the bad, and making this country the best that it can be. I represent you, and I shall with pride, humility, and respect."

Siegbert felt his cheeks redden as his speech came to a close. He waited for jeers and booing from the crowd, but smiled as his people clapped and cheered instead. He scrutinized the crowd, and noticed many smiling faces throughout the sea of people. They didn't look irritated; they looked hopeful for what was to come. Siegbert smiled wider before he was escorted back into the castle. As soon as he spotted his relatives, he almost ran to them. Elise was the first to reach him, giving him a bear hug in the process.

"You were so great!" she exclaimed.

"You did great!" Corrin said.

"You were amazing, darling," Camilla chimed in.

Leo smiled softly. "You did good, Siegbert. Or shall I call you King Siegbert?"

"Please don't. You don't have to call me that."

"I won't," Leo chuckled. "Oh yes, I forgot— your retainers are here."

Siegbert looked behind his uncle and saw Peri and Laslow approach him with smiles on their faces. He shook both their hands as they congratulated him for becoming King.

"Lord Siegbert," Laslow declared, "I hereby vow to serve you faithfully until I draw my last breath. You have my loyalty and respect as your retainer."

"I vow the same!" Peri exclaimed with an excited squeal. "I'll be the best retainer ever, Lord Siegbert! I promise."

"Thank you…really," Siegbert replied. "And thank you, Uncle Leo, Aunt Camilla, Aunt Corrin, and Aunt Elise for all your help since I returned to Nohr."

"I'm just happy that you're happy," Leo said. "You've shaped up to be a fine young man. Your parents would be proud."

Siegbert nodded. "I know they would be. I know that they'll be in my heart as I rule over my people. And I have you all to assist me in being the best man and best King possible. Nohr is going to prosper for many years to come— I can already tell."

"So can we, Siegbert. So can we," Corrin said.

* * *

 **There you go! I hope you all enjoyed the final chapter. :) And now, some thank yous...**

 **To those that favourited this fanfic: _pichuplayer, miraak of solstheim, TTluv19, Steel Magicant, PinkButterfree, KazeNoKishiX, He Who Listens, Amy47101,_ and _Ally Nicole Rose_.**

 **To those that followed this fanfic: _zeldaleepalutena, uncreativename351, shadowrunner22, pichuplayer, miraak of solstheim, marcorooni, TTluv17, Steel Magicant, Shadow32, RenegadeX2, NostalgiaMaster1996, KazeNoKishiX, DeaShasta, AwakeningFates, Ally Nicole Rose,_ and _AceBen_.**

 **To those that review this fanfic at any point: _pichuplayer, LittleMissEmblem, Fireminer, zeldaleepalutena, Steel Magicant, THE CREATOR, Guest, Talking Forest, Shadow152, Amy47101,_ and _LazyDog9596_.**

 **Finally, I wanted to thank all of you for reading this fanfic. Whether you were there from the beginning or began sometime afterward, thank you for joining me on this crazy ride. I love you all, and I hope to see you again when I upload my next fanfic! :D**

 _\- Elizabeth_


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